OS, 1/2 IM, IM plans all in one season
Hi all, this is hypothetical...which is why I am not putting this into the macro thread yet. I don't want RnP to feel obligated to answer a hypothetical...so I am asking all the good members to take a looksy and let me know what you think.
Here is my basic race schedule plan.
| 10/31/2010 | 1 | |
| OutSeason ( | 11/7/2010 | 2 |
| Transition (1-2 wks) | 14-Nov | 3 |
| Iron plan (12 wks) | 21-Nov | 4 |
| 1/2 Iron Plan | 28-Nov | 5 |
| 12/5/2010 | 6. Swap TESTING Week 8 | |
| 12/12/2010 | 7. MEXICO | |
| Use results from week 6 | 12/19/2010 | 9 (skip to week 9) |
| 12/26/2010 | 10 | |
| 1/2/2010 | 11 | |
| 1/9/2011 | 12 | |
| 1/16/2011 | 13 | |
| 1/23/2011 | 14 | |
| 1/30/2011 | 15 | |
| Will possibly add easy swimming here to get feel for water back. 1-2 per week. | 2/6/2011 | 16 |
| 2/13/2011 | 17 | |
| 2/20/2011 | 18 | |
| 2/27/2011 | 19 | |
| 3/6/2011 | 20 | |
| 3/13/2011 | 1 | |
| 3/20/2011 | 2 | |
| 3/27/2011 | 3 | |
| 4/3/2011 | 4 | |
| 4/10/2011 | 5 | |
| 4/17/2011 | 6 | |
| 4/24/2011 | 7 | |
| 5/1/2011 | 8 | |
| 5/8/2011 | 9 | |
| 5/15/2011 | 10 | |
| Never done it, want to do well…willing to make it a B race. | 5/22/2011 | TTT (A) |
| 5/29/2011 | 1 | |
| 6/5/2011 | 2 | |
| 6/12/2011 | 7 | |
| 6/19/2011 | 8. High Cliff 70.3 (B) | |
| 6/26/2011 | 9 | |
| 7/3/2011 | 10 | |
| 7/10/2011 | 11 | |
| A-Race | 7/17/2011 | 12 Racine 70.3 (A) |
| 7/24/2011 | 1 | |
| 7/31/2010 | 2 | |
| 8/7/2011 | 3 | |
| 8/14/2011 | 4 | |
| 8/21/2011 | 1 | |
| 8/28/2011 | 2 | |
| Assume I qualify for 70.3 | 9/4/2011 | 3 |
| Will do either 70.3 OR USAT, not both. | 9/11/2011 | 4 |
| 9/18/2011 | 5 | |
| 9/25/2011 | 6 | |
| 10/2/2011 | 7 | |
| 10/9/2011 | 8 | |
| 10/16/2011 | 9 | |
| 10/23/2011 | 10 | |
| 10/30/2011 | 11 | |
| ITU Worlds | 11/6/2011 | 12. ITU Worlds |
| 11/13/2011 | 1 | |
| 11/20/2011 | 2 |
I will have other races in there, but all smaller Oly's and sprints. I am not worried about them at all as they are the fun races. Here is my question/concern. What do I do with that big gap of time between TTT and the start of the IM plan in late August? I'd love to go into the OS plans and build more power and speed, but I have two 1/2 iron races in there...and will need some volume. Especially with Racine as I want to do really well there.
I put in a repeat of weeks 7-12 of the 1/2 iron plan with Racine as the A race...and then back to the OS. Does that seem right?
Comments
20 weeks OS as you have
1 week off - refresh the body and mind - allow all that new fitness to settle into the muscles
Final 9 weeks of HIM plan starting 3/20 and culminating in TTT
Few days off after TTT then ease back into training late in the week
Final 8 weeks of HIM plan starting 5/29 and culminating in Racine
Skip High Cliff or do as relay with someone else running which turns it into a HIM training day
Take the entire week off after Racine, even 2 - go on vacation - have some fun
Come back totally refreshed and do final 14-15 weeks of IM plan (20 week IM plan is 8 weeks transition and 12 weeks race prep) culminating in ITU Worlds
Leave those last 2 weeks blank until you see how you feel
Don't worry about volume. You will see plenty in the regular plans. Do the OS as written and leave the volume to race prep. If you can't stand it, the OS plans have an option for a 2.5 hour bike on the weekend. Last year I started the OS in January with no extra volume, stopped after 16 weeks to transition to about 8 weeks HIM prep, only had a handful of outdoor bike rides, and nailed Hawaii 70.3.
Also, be careful with "other races in there", even if they are Oly's or sprints. The weekends are when your long rides are and 12 or 25 miles just don't cut it. If you're doing more than a couple of them, I would recommend sticking to the prescribed workouts by finishing the work after the race; especially if you are concerned about volume.
Finally, I think you are better off jumping into IM prep rather than OS when you're preparing for ITU Worlds. That race is going to be like doing an ironman. 120km on the bike and 30km on the run, on that course, which I have done, is probably going to feel like doing an IM. There will be the same amount of climbing on the bike and run in those 150km as there is in 220km at Kona. 2 or 3 weeks of OS, with the smaller time and work, won't help you.
Just my $0.02. I'm sure others will chime in as well. Good luck.
Having suffered through the TTT, I'd give serious thought to passing on the High Cliff 70.3 -- three weeks after Ohio is not enough time to recover before another draining race day (even a 'B' race). That fatigue will snowball and hurt your chances at a true 'A' race in Racine. Mentally you can do it, but IMHO, the body will need more time.
I'd also question treating the prep for TTT as any old half-IM. It is an IM-distance race. That 2nd Olympic on Saturday is a nutrition killer and really puts a hurting on you by the time you get to the 3rd/4th rock, hilly loop on Sunday.
But that is just my 2¢. I don't even play a tri-coach on tv...
Thank you.
I agree that ITU is essentially an IM and plan to train as if it is one. I some decent hills in my area. I have no idea how they compare to silverman, but we'll find out. They probably don't compare at all.
Anyway, I have two things working against me. First, I have a natural tendency to do too much. I think many triathletes have this problem until they find EN. Second, I live in Wisc. So I feel this obligation to race during the season as it is short. Late May until early September is all we get. Put those two things together and I end up doing too much. Last year I raced 5 times in 7 weeks with Racine 70.3 followed immediately by an Oly the next weekend. I was trashed.
I have not seen any of the full blown plans for a 1/2 or full iron. So I don't really know what to expect from those plans which is why I ask. If I finish the 1/2 Iron plan with TTT, I am guessing I'm in fantastic shape. I've got speed, I've got volume. I'm a lean, mean, fighting machine. So I was thinking of 2 transition weeks where I just train as I want to...enough to not lose a ton of fitness, but still recharge. My thought was I'd still be in great shape, good enough to do High Cliff as a solid race, but also a rehersal for Racine. But I'm guessing my logic here won't change your mind any...right? :-)
I didn't realize the IM plan was 20 weeks. I probably saw that and forgot...so that actually answers my other question. So I would absolutely follow your advice. A week or two off after Racine and then into the IM plan. No need to toss OS time in there.
As for other races, again that is the "i need to race outside" mentality coupled with the "I feel this need to do too much". :-) I'll try to keep it to a minimum. I am guessing ITU worlds will be expensive enough to bust my tri budget and other races will drop off as a result anyway.
Thanks again
As for the IM plans, as I said, the 20 week IM plan is an 8 week transition plan followed by a 12 week race plan. There are both 12 and 20 week plans but the 12 weeks is the same and at the same time. With your schedule, semantics only. Since you are HIM training all year, you would finish Racine with great HIM fitness. I would think that 2 weeks of 30/30's (VO2 work) wouldn't contribute much. With only 14-15 weeks to go before a virtual IM, and precious outdoor training conditions beckoning, I would hop into that after Racine.
Eric,
You need some transition after the 20 weeks of OS. Given your time constraints 1 week. With the TTT beginning 5/22 and a week off in the OS you could have started in October.
I would do 18 weeks OS, 1 week transition, then 10 weeks to TTT. Transition 1-2 weeks then 1/2 plan for 6-7 weeks to Racine. 1 week transition, then 3 weeks not so sure myself OS stuff. You might want to even use this 4 weeks as transition and general prep block. Then 12 week IM.
The challenge you have is this is a very long season. Typically when someone is doing a late season IM or long distance race the suggestion is to do a early season 70.3 and break it down in to two parts with a break inbetween.
Another factor is your recovery from TTT.
Gordon
It is very hard to be mentally and physically prepping for an entire year.
This is your first OS? (just a guess)
The OS is low volume and seriously high intensity. There is a reason we have EVERY Monday and Friday off.
I see that you have 19 weeks of OS and 1 of those weeks is in Mexico. No bi g deal, lots of folks have winter vacations.
You CAN NOT and SHOULD NOT roll right into the ~20 weeks of HIM training.
DO NOT try to redo OS work for 4 weeks between your A race HIM and the beginning of the IM plan.
DO NOT start swimming in February unless you have major stroke issues. The HIM plan is plenty of time to get your swim up to speed.
Not sure how long the TTT actually is, but THAT could likely be done on just OS training as OS is all about getting faster.
Take 2 weeks TOTALLY OFF after Racine. Then 2 weeks of unstructured training. You have 12 weeks to build for ITU.
If you have an S.O., I hope the SAU bank is overflowing.
PLAN YOUR REST.
Advice on what else to change- IMHO start the OS in January. 20 weeks finishes in May and you can build the "far" for HIM on top of the OS fast you've built. You can also drop out of OS a few weeks early to rest and transition to HIM plan if you want. (You will still be "on" for almost 10 months.
Good luck.