When to Tranistion from OutSeason to Half/Full Ironman Plans
Wiki Workers:
Since I continue to exercise Stratgice Incompetence and dodge learning how to work the Wiki, please post this in there somewhere 
.
So I'm setting up a new class of members with training plans. Since we are a little closer to the start of the season, I'm having to think a lot more about entrance/exit point of the OS, how that impacts training for other races, etc, so I thought I'd jam this out so that everyone can see the method to our madness.
Begin Wiki Post
When To Transition from OS to My Training Plan
You've joined Endurance Nation to get your to your race and, most likely, to go much faster at that race than you have in the past. Our most powerful "make me faster" tool is our OutSeason training plans. For this reason, we want to keep you in the OutSeason plan for as long as we can.
Notes:
From OS to Half Ironman
Our experience is that you can effectively transition from the OS to a VERY successful Half Ironman in 4-8wks. This is to say that we can take you from the OS plan and drop you into the last weeks below of our HIM plans and you'll still have a great, great race. This is particularly easy to do this year, as we've added longer, outdoor training options to our OS plans. That is, athletes doing an HIM very close to the end of their OS plan can begin to use the outdoor training options (higher volume) to get a bit of a running start on their HIM training plan. Athletes can transition from the OS to a successful HIM race in the time frames below:
- Intermediate and Advanced athletes = exit the OS plan and jump into the last 4wks of the HIM plan.
- Beginner = exit the OS plan and jump into the last 6-8wks of the HIM plan.
From OS to Ironman
Same drill, but:
- Intermediate to Advanced = about 8-10wks
- Beginner = about 12-14wks.
So, today is December 4th. When I'm planning the schedule of an Intermediate athlete doing Longhorn as an A-priority race (April 25, 2010) and then transitioning to IMCDA, my reasoning is:
- Start the OS plan right away, so I can get this person integrated with the other DecOS peeps.
- The end of the DecOS plan is April 17th, ie, very close to Longhorn. I tell this person to ping us in the forums about early/mid-March to start talking about when exactly to move them from the OS to the HIM plan.
- After Longhorn, load up the last whatever-weeks of the IM plan to transition them from Longhorn to IMCDA. No worries, I've personally manage this similar transition (usually with Wildflower, first weekend of May) a zillion times, especially with my own training.
The lesson from all of this is that, yes, on the outside we sell 20wk OS plans, 12 and 20wk IM and HIM plans. However, once you come inside and we are able to manage your training and communicate with you here in the forums, we can finesse it a good bit more, per above, dropping you into/out of plans as it fits your personal situation.
End Wiki Post
EN Vets:
Please give everyone here your experience with the above situations, ie, moving from the OS to HIM or IM training. I thinking here specifically of members who did CaliHalf, NO, WF and then IMCDA or other early season IM's. Thanks!
Comments
Initial page is up:
http://endurancenation.us.dnnmax.co...ining+Plan
I'll add any additional info EN vets post to this thread...
Luckily OS plan ends for me in April so perfect timing for half IM July 18 and then IM Moo. My transition pre-occupation is I want to be training for IM starting late May through tape in late Aug...not training for it just six weeks out from Half IM. So that is the topic that will interest me come spring time. Then of course going from IM Moo to another half six weeks later. MAMA!!!
@Sheryl -- Yes, you'll have enough time to transition, esp as the longer runs on the back half of the OS plan are targeted a bit more towards 1/2 marathon prep.
FWIW, Last year I really wanted to do the Racine Half and than IMWI as my A race, since I have done Racine for the last 4 years, but RnP convinced me not to. In the end they were right, I did the aquabike with zero taper or recovery. It worked out really well...too bad they don't have the aqua bike anymore.
If you can do the half with ZERO taper and zero recovery, then maybe consider doing it still, if you have to take a day or more off before or after you may want to really think about how important IMWI is to you.
Everyone is different, but I just wanted to share my experience.
Thanks P I think what I will do is come May put in a change A race from Half to full IM. I only need a week to taper for half and then only a week to recover..can be back doing volume the following weekend. I'd rather train under a a full IM plan and then micro adjust my IM plan around the half race then to suddenly switch with only five weeks (minus taper) of real IM training to go.
Door County WI is a great training race for IM MOO. The bike is rolling especially the last 15 miles where there is miles of steady incline and the run has three climbs. I just do better mentally with a half under my belt. It's also one of my favorite places in the whole world. Only place where I can literally go sit by water for hours and not do a thing. Usually site of my late IM season epic week training vacay. Highly recommend it to those for who it fits. Reg open Jan 1. Limited to 1000 people.
Have a great day. I'm excited to be a part of team. Have followed RnP"writings" for years and attended 07 Madison camp.
Have had 1:1 coaching for 5 previous IMs with a happy one hour PR in 08. Said I was done with IMs. hahahaha. Now back
Feel I have enough under the belt to not need 1:1. Have always thought the EN Kool Aid made good sense so excited to officially incorporate it into my IM diet. And I hear I can look forward to R in a speedo and wig. I do not think I will use the smiley with tounge hanging out here when talking about speedos. hahahahaha
I know your not big on the marathon during off season, if you noticed I really only have 2 A races, the marathon in the end of January and then IM Louisville. I will most likely be doing the Ironman XC Executive Challenge at this event as well as any short course races leading up to the IM race. The Marathon is to qualify for Boston (which I would do as a B or even C event) not for time but to just do it.
Your thoughts.
I don't want to start sounding (more) like a dick, but this thread is not the place to discuss "but what about my plan, marathons in the off-season, etc."
This discussions happen here: The I need to discuss macro-level training plan stuff with the Coaches Thread
Patrick McCrann
Thanks! PnI want to provide you with timely, organized, and easy for you and us to find feedback on anything you need. But there are many of you, only two of us, and swimming q's posted to page 3 of a training with power question (just making up an example) isn't gonna get it. So I'm trying to start this new forum out correctly by posting very specific threads where you post specific questions asking for our feedback. Thanks!
John, not so much directed at you but at everyone. PnI have on our process/efficiency hats on and are really try to do this correctly, right out of the gate. Trying to be organized. Thanks.
My apologies if I contributed to this at all and John's marathon question was his first ever post. As new members, the amount of information in the forums, number of forums, posts etc. is overwhleming, not to mention groups and all the other resources etc. So I'm sure we will continue to stumble along the way at times through our excitement of exploring your great offering while you all tweak what are the most efficient ways to provide information.
Rich,
I'll add to the wiki when up. I'm not an early seaons IM person, but I would like to see a bit in here about the transition time needed after the OS. I can just see people going from October through the next September without knowing that we transition in and out of the plans with some down time. That make sense for this doc?
Look forward to seeing what others are doing to setup for a mid-year half-iron and then August/September Ironman.
Here is some feedback on what Rich actually was looking for......
Last year was 1st "in-haus" for me. IMCDA09 was A race and also did Cali70.3 before. I went through OS and used a month transition plan then jumped into IM plan. I did not really taper at all for Cali 70.3, just used it to race and put all three together on one day. Actually it was first OUTSIDE ride that year! Raced Sat, drove all the way back to CDA on Sunday and took Monday off. Tuesday I was back on plan.
General feeling was that I did not lose OR gain much by doing Cali. It was more a race/vacation for family. By looking at race in that manner and sticking to the IM plan I was able to PR at CDA and go sub 12 for first time. I really think folks OVERestimate how much LONG distance racing they are capable of in a season. Long reguires lots of prep, focus and determination. You can only bring it so many times a year. Pick an A Race and plan the work around it!
My two cents...
So, RnP...you are going to build the change into my plan to get me from OS to HIM training, right? Meaning, I don't have to do anything but follow my workouts until I show up on race day, right?
Ok DEC OS -> IMUSA Guys,
I'm in the same boat as you. It does work. Unless I got my numbers wrong (always possible), this is the way a Dec OS to IMUSA should look (providing you started Dec OS on Nov 30th). RorP please verify this is a correct sequence.
I've have the problem of missing and making up two weeks (6&7) of the OS so as I understand it, i'll probably have to end OS on week 18 or 19.
I'm December OS - IMUSA too. I believe you have excluded the 4-week block of (pink) "General Prep". This is why I only came up with 15 wks of OS.
Terry, That "General Prep" is (for lack of a better term) filler. It's keeps you "in shape" while you're in between phases. If you look at the Nov OS -> CDA Example they do not have any General Prep, and FL, AZ and COZ have huge General Prep times.
Nov OS -> CDA and Dec OS -> IMUSA should basically have the same timeline since CDA is a month before USA. Once again I could be completely wrong here and RnP will swoop in and correct (or commend) me.
RnP - I just want to make sure I have this right. I have my first 'A' race, NOLA 70.3 on April 18th. Right now, I am holding strong in the OS program, but I have added some swimming to it. Do I need to switch to the 12 week HIM program or just hang in the OS until maybe April 1st-ish? I know the OS is really where big gains come from, so, I want to be sure to capture as much of that as possible without jeapordizing my race in April because I am not rested or 'distanced'. For the record, if this were a test, I would guess the answer is 'stay in OS', and put in the Race Rehearsals and outdoor weekend ride substitutes and I should be good to go. My only add, other than some swimming, might be something like a longer run on Wednesday...
Thoughts? THANKS!
a few questions - when you say we can exit OS and jump into the last 4 weeks of HIM training to be ready, does that mean we should (1) skip transition altogether, (2) exit OS, do a 1 week transition, then do the last 4 weeks of HIM training, or (3) exit OS, do the last 4 weeks of HIM, then do transition before general prep?
I'm a newbie member and January OS'er (who started late due to injury) so I'm trying to maximize my OS time, learn as much as possible (just discovered this thread/realized I needed to read it), and be ready for my early HIM.
thanks (hope this was a general question - that I didn't post it in the wrong forum).
Am I missing something, or are there only IM General Prep plans? Should the HIM guys be using something different???
Thanks!
Believe it or not, they are 98% the same, with the only difference between Adv HIM and Adv IM (for example) is that the Sat bike is an hour longer for the IM peeps (same main set). No tangible difference here in my mind...