The Macro Thread -- Get the Coaches' Advice on Season Planning, Big Picture Stuff
Folks -
Lots of good stuff going on in da Haus! More and more of you are becoming Self Coached Triathletes, and your "fu" is strong. As you begin to think about making MACRO LEVEL changes to your plan, we decided that it should be contained in one place (and not lost in a sub-forum). Please post all questions about ending plans, hacking plans, doing other races, etc., here and the coaches, WSMs and your peers will reply!
Thanks!
Patrick
ps - if you just have a minor question about your current training week or moving "a" workout, please go to the "The I need training/scheduling feedback from the Coaches about THIS WEEK Thread"
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Comments
I'm okay for this week, but will be skiing from December 26-January 17. Is there an OS ski hack? I can run, I can swim, biking is limited to a bad trainer in the ski condo gym. I will be skiing many hours per day. Should I modify any part of the training plan now? How should I accomodate missing week eight testing?
Hi Guys:
I am doing IMSG and in November OS. I believe we will be jumping out of OS and into 12 week IM Plan sometime end of January? I want to "focusify" my OS on running and was wondering if waiting until week 8 of OS per the Focusify doco would be too late since that would be the end of December. That would leave only 4 weeks until IM Plan starts and I wouldn't have the "cement your hard work" done at the end of a fully completed OS.
So, is it OK if I start focusing on running starting this week and then jump back into the Balanced plan EO December?
If so, I have one question about Sunday:
This weeks run days in the Advanced Plan are:
4 x 1 mile on Wednesday
3 x 1 mile on Sunday
So then I would move things around per the doco to look like this?
Monday - Off
Tuesday - Run 4 x 1 mile
Wednesday - Bike 2 x 15's + T Run
Thursday - Run 3 x 1 mile
Friday - Off
Saturday - 2:30 bike with 2 x 12's @ FT and 2 x 15's at .85
Sunday - Run 4 x 1 miles???? (repeat Tuesday)
Thanks for your help.
New member. 2 questions for the forum.
When to jump out to HIM plan and how does that happen ?
4 HIM's in 5 months is alot of racing...you'll basically be racing, recovering or tapering...No problem with it if that's on the schedule, but you need to identify 1, MAYBE 2 as real races and others as workouts that you pay for. Also, with IMFL as your real A race, be careful of race burnout before you get there. You're burning alot of physical AND mental matches before November, and I can tell you from experience that late year races don't get here soon enough.
Good luck.
Bill
Starting week 2 of transition after IMAZ. If I aim to transition back into Nov OS group, should I basically just jump in with the rest of the OS group after I finish the 3-week transition? Next planned race would be Disney Half Marathon on Jan 8th. A-Race isn't until July 10th, Musselman Half-Iron.
Yes, I think that looks good. Skip the T-run on Wed and call Sunday as 3 x 1 vs 4 x 1, see how you feel.
WERD
What priority is NO for you? You raced IMWI, correct? What's your fitness like now compared to WI?
@Kevin,
I think your recent race (IMAZ) + your late '10 A-race don't equal the NovOS for you. Are you asking for social reasons? Want to kick it with the NovOS crew? I think you should finish the transition plan, keep it rolling through the holidays, and do the January OS instead...
...or start the OS plan in mid December and think about easing into the NovOS after a few weeks of that.
@Beth,
2-3wk ski trip = YOU SUCK!!!! I've never been but want to really, really bad...
Why ruin a great trip by being geeked about your training? I say:
@Beth -
Skiing is just killer work, but it can be offset by eating cheese fries and drinking all the time...so you gotta be good. Bonus if you can get in some X-country ski time 2-3x a week!
P
Yes, I did IMWI...Fitness probably 70%, OS work is going very well but no swimming. Of course, I need to incorporate longer stuff to be ready for a Half.
NO is an A+++ race, in that it is a Kona Qualifier within the XC series.
I was thinking to stay in OS until Jan 1, while starting to reincorporate swimming into the weekly routine. Frankly though, I have never approached a half as an A race, always a "workout" leading to an IM.
Thanks.
I hate to have to plan this far out, but it is just that way. When will the peak weeks for IMWI 2010 occur?? I would like to schedule some off time around them. Thanks !
Gina,
We are rewriting the training plans right now, to be published after Jan 1. When that is complete we'll be able to give everyone a breakdown of the long B/R volume for each week, location of epic weekends, race rehearsals, etc, so you can plan around them.
Coaches,
I'd like your feedback on switching from Nov OS to Dec OS. I am not at all happy with how I executed November and think I need to call a mulligan and start over...
I did a mid-Oct marathon and rode my bike rarely through October.
I was sick for the first couple weeks in Nov and did not hit all my work outs.
I traveled for work a couple weeks in Nov and only managed a couple runs (no rides).
Lately, I have struggled with my bike fit which has caused some knee pain. I am thinking of going to get a real fit from a guy with a body alignmentike fit perspective who thinks he can address my knee pain. So, I do not want to push it too hard before getting that figured out.
I do not have an accurate count of workouts I have missed, but it feels like a majority of them (including both weekend workouts and Tuesday's ride most recently).
I am aiming for a June HIM and then IMWI 2010.
Do you agree I should join the Dec OS?
@David, yep, sounds like it make sense for you to switch. Please us the Request Plan Change dealio on your dashboard and we'll get that done. Thanks.
Coaches
Thanks for this thread. While I've been with EN for five months now, I am really just about to start my first season with you, and I need some macro strategizing for how to program my year.
I completed IM AZ, ten days ago now. I've always been able to recover quickly after an IM (not Petr Vebrosek or Joe Boness quick, but ready to go full bore again in 2-3 weeks.) Also, I am taking immersive ski vacations from Jan 4-17, and again Feb 1-10. My first A race is IM CDA. So I am wondering about a few things. I plan to start OS training Dec 14. But I don't know how to handle the ski time. Do I put the OS program on a standstill, doing Week 3 Dec 28, then week 4 Jan 18? Or do I just jump back in assuming the OS plan has been rolling along without me? Or something different. While skiing, I swim a little, and run on the treadmill (VERY SLOWLY at 8000K feet) for 30 minutes on days I don't ski, and no biking.
I want to do the full 12 week advanced IM plan, starting April 5. How long should I stay on the OS? What about IM Prep weeks? Do I do any, or just motor along with OS plan until April 5? Thanks/
I'm just inside 20 weeks to my now determined A+++ race, NO Half on April 18. I need your thoughts on OS/Half program .
Bill -
I would do a Dec OS start (you are already behind oh no!!!) and then a 12 week HIM specific build to your race, starting on / around March 1st.
P
@Al -
Given your beefy year and your ski schedule, I think you'd be better off crafting a "basic week" you can implement until Jan 18. Then go OS for 10 weeks, transition 2 and go IM for the rest!
P
Thanks for the reply....but, I'm in Nov OS. The race is April 18. Where to I get HIM plan ?
B
Hoping the next round of testing will show some improvement, but maybe to soon.
Has anyone else changed running technique and how long before these changes show up as improvements.
Thanks. I'll percolate along until MLK Jr Day, then do ten weeks of FTP and VDOT building, then hit the road for IM specific training in April.
Don't have anything in my dashboard yet so could I get my outseason to start this week?
thanks guys!
T.
Tavis,
Just set you up, plz check and PM me if whack.
RnP
So you guys know I have had issues with my knee preventing me from really running. I have been gradually increasing my run time, but not yet able to do all the running in beginner workout. I am looking for some slower modifcations on the run so I don't hurt it. again. So I am week 5 beginner. i did the wed workout thursday due to getting over a cold.( I shifted everything this week by a day) Last night I did 3x 1/2 mile- then gym was closing. If I had more time I would have done another 1/2 mile so overall distance was same- but that may be pushing it..
Today, patella feels ok , tendon feels slights sore- which means I need to stretch better/ more and massage the area
Some of my thoughts- Cut prescribed distances in 1/2 ( ie last night perhaps i should have done 1/4 mile repeats and then 1/2- then maybe do 2nd half of workout in pool. This weekend i have to work all weekend so won't have access to pool or treadmill. My thought for sunday would be something like
2x 1/2 mile ( for me run 1/4//fast/walk 1/4) recover- walking
1x1 mile ( for me run 1/2 mile/walk 1/2 mile) recover walking
2x 1/2 mile ( same as above)
Any thoughts or suggestions on progression?