Early Season Ironman (Santa Rosa) - Training through winter
Wasn't sure exactly where to post this one. I'm considering Ironman Santa Rosa which occurs in early May. I really like everything I've seen about the race (weather, location, elevation profiles, etc.). I live in Ohio where the weather isn't exactly great in the months leading up to May. In addition... riding a trainer for 5-6 hours doesn't sound sane. I'd like to get some thoughts on what preparation for Santa Rosa (in May) might look like while I live in Ohio and there may be snow on the ground in February and March... and April will still be pretty chilly. Has anyone already figured this out? Any good thoughts or considerations on how to creatively tackle something like this without sitting on a trainer for 5-6 hours in March while it snows outside? One thing in the back of my mind is split trainer rides (2 hours morning and then 2 hours evening) or something like that... kinda like the split runs we do.... not sure if that yeilds the same benefit... but it may be a consideration. I'd be interested in creative ideas or stories on how anyone has solved this problem in the past. Thanks in advance! I'm always impressed with the thorough, creative responses I get in these forums!!
Comments
watching this thread as my IMFL registration was deferred to IMYX 4/27/19. I have ridden the trainer for at least 3 race rehearsals and its a drag. Even with company at a 16 computrainer lab. BUT, I know lots of folks barely ride outdoors and use zwift extensively. Would love to hear all about it!
I train mostly indoors when doing a build.
Set up a good cave.
nice tv with roku or Apple TV. I watch shows or movies. And for the intense parts of workouts I do music.
vasa ergometer
wahoo kickr.
treadmill.
i try to do very focused workouts. Maximize recovery and time to do other things.
i don’t like splitting workouts as it uses up too much time. Bike or run.
for bike i like a simple and quick setup. I control the Kickr with their phone app. I always use simple ergometer mode. I just dial in the Watts for whatever interval. I find Zwift, Trainer Toad, etc distracting and time wasters. Also, for me, they lead to overtraining. I like to be able to adjust on the fly per how I am feeling.
@robin sarner Do you do the volume as written in EN plans? EG five-six hour rides? Or do you do shorter 3-4 hour rides, a bit more intense?
I raced IMSR this year and did all rides on the trainer. My Saturday long rides focused on 4-5 hours just a tick above race pace ~.75 IF. I used Zwift 100K and 120K rides to help distract me and finished up the long ride as needed. Sunday rides where on trainer around 2.5 - 3 hours using the Zwift ADHR Bacon rolls ride to begin with. During the week I had one Z4 level ride, almost always a Zwift race.
During long trainer rides I would get off and stretch every 90 minutes, use the bathroom then get back to work judiciously. I also increased my time in aero bars week over week.
My bike split at IMSR was very strong, consistent and smooth. I found Zwift and indoor trainer rides to be safe, convenient and easy in terms of having all my nutrition there. I followed the plan and intensity protocol meticulously and recommend this approach.
SS
@Robert Patrick I've done long trainer rides 6 hours in the past, early in the season to kick off the IM plan I've done 4 days with 8 or 9 hour total on the trainer and it can get old. SS has outlined another option where you are getting in the TSS riding a little above race pace.
Also note Robin and SS are experience triathletes and in the game year after year. If you are coming off a lay off or limited fitness shorting the bike is difficult. I personally used to feel the transition of going from shorter OS rides to the longer IM bike a challenge. This was in part me taking months off after my IM and also just doing the 1 hour rides in the OS. If you can take advantage of some the the addition riding with the team in the OS, move to a minimalist bike volume and then add in a volume pop you should be solid.
Really there's nothing that can replace the time in the saddle and having some solid rides of length to allow for the muscles to adapt, this includes holding the aero position. If you look at the minimalist plan 20 weeks, week 1-11 are 4 hours or less (did not check them all), week 12 is 4.5 hours, week 13 &14, 16 and 17 have 5 hours. There is two 6 hour rides scheduled on week 15 and 18. Not sure about the effects of doing split rides, but I'd consider at a minimum one 6 six hour ride and a couple 5 hour rides with straight riding time.
Can you do a long weekend, big bike week/big tri week trip further south to get in some of this volume. Even tacking a day on to a work road trip and bringing the bike to ride for 5-6 hours out doors would be a big benefit.
You can do less but the less than this but the less you do the more risk you add to your race. Good EN execution and definitely leaving your ego at the start line can limit this risk. For example I crashed going in to LP in 2017 an only completed the first race rehearsal, missed a couple weeks of swimming and the long rides as I recovered following that and completed running most of a very slow marathon.
@Robert Patrick I am on the same boat as you are since I have signed up for IMTX and live in the Pacific Northwest.
For me personally, indoors training is not a struggle at all. As @robin sarner mentioned earlier, the trick is to have a decent setup. I have in the pain cave a wahoo Kickr, a treadmill, a laptop, a big TV and a sound system. I try to have a game on or recorded TV shows that I never get to watch while riding.
I enjoy Zwift a lot so most of my rides are done there; they tend to be more efficient and a lot safer than being on the road. The EN workouts are already available at Zwift and for the long weekend rides there is all kind of alternatives within the team too. You will find that doing a 5 or 6 hour ride in Zwift is not bad at all. I even do most of my race rehearsals there.
For running I try to mix in and out depending on weather.
I have found indoors training to be effective and efficient saving a lot of time to be with the family.
@Al Truscott
for last two iron builds have done roughly minimalist plan and reduced further. This is from 10 weeks out.
three. 4 hour bikes.
two. 5+ hour bikes. For Canada 2016 did 5 hour and 5.5 hour bike. Longest ride to equal race target. For Arizona 2018 two 5 hour bikes.
for this current arinzona 2018 am experimenting further. Maximum 3 hour bikes otherwise. Three bikes a week. The other two are one hour with ftp and vo2 work.
will see how arizona goes.