Shutting it down for the season. Really need some team support!
After falling just 4.5 miles short of completing my first Ironman at IMTX (due to some back problems), I got out of bed Sunday morning, May 22, wanting revenge. Don't get me wrong. I was still pumped for all that I accomplished. The event was something I'll never forget. The friendships I made along the way, all I learned about myself and about life and balance and commitment and following through on that I started, I wouldn't trade any of that for anything. But I still didn't finish the race. Grrrr!
It took about 3 weeks and I started thinking about revenge. I registered for Redman 140.6 and loaded up the EN 20 week beginner schedule. I followed the recovery e-book like the Bible and got right back into it. I'm 8 weeks out and frankly just a little burned out. I forgot how much I enjoyed training with all my friends (who are now doing sprints and 5k's on the weekends)...anyway, blah, blah, blah.
To the point, I've just about decided to shut the season down and start the OS plan. The full 20-week plan gets me to the 2nd week of December where I can do 1 or 2 weeks transition through the holidays and start General Prep first part of January.
Now, here's my big thing I need help/advice/support. Even though I've lost 130 pounds in the past couple years, I'm still weighing in at 250. My #1 goal as an athlete and a husband, a father, an employee, is to get this last 50 pounds off. My dietician and I think we can do that by mid-January. I definitely want to start my IMTX Gen-prep, able to focus solely on my training and not on training + losing weight. So, my question is do you think there is anything in the OS training plan that I need to do to maximize my weight loss. I know all the stuff they say about long, slow, fat-burning...blah, blah. I've heard it all and done it and it works, yes. But I've also learned that the most important part of losing weight is calories in vs caloried burned. Plain and simple. So, do you think the "work" in the OS plan is conducive to weight loss or do I need to modify?
Also, I'd like to do a couple half marathons. I saw the marathon hack. Is there a half marathon hack?
I'm looking to my team to stay motivated here. I appreciate you all.
Comments
Keeping your calories controlled is the only way to lose weight, no matter if you're training for an IM or doing absolutely nothing. I have no doubt you can lose whatever pounds you still want to with proper calorie control.
Here are Rich's comments that Paul references above.
members.endurancenation.us/Training...fault.aspx
The OS is intense work, but like Chris said, it doesn't matter what you do if you aren't watching the calories. IMO, I think its easier to lose weight when not doing heavy training. Heavy training leads to the mindset "Oh I did this, I can eat whatever". That loseit.com will hold you accountable for everything, with putting in your workouts. Good luck!
My 2 cents worth: I find it tough to buckle down and lose weight when I'm being stressed with lots of high-intensity workouts I.E. most of EN's OS and in-season programs. It's all too much! I agree with most of the other responders that the sure path to athletic success for you is to lose as much weight as you can, in a healthy way. Set up a basic week that you can sustain week after week, month after month; it's less than you think! Use this as a platform to create baseline fitness and address body comp.
Hey Victor,
You have done something amazing that I can relate too! You have lost a huge amount of weight! That is a tremendous achievement. CONGRATULATIONS!
I'm going to give you a differing point of view. For me, I found that I had to set small goals not in the form of a weight goal, but in the form of a race or an event. That kept me motivated to train. The buy-product was that I reached the weight that I desired to reach. With this in mind, in opinion, you are on the right track to do a couple of half marathons. You may even consider 5Ks or 10Ks.
And don't forget to have fun along the way!!!
Blessings!
Victor,
I'm with Al especially is your a feeling burned out. There's a ton of work to be done in the OS and you just need some down time, riding or racing with you friend, or just going out and training without the watch or powermeter.
If I looked at the weeks correctly you can get in a 20 week OS Oct to January 8, then 2 week transition, and 12 week IM Of course this does not get you the holiday season off but I you cut the OS to 18 weeks you have your Christmas break.
I'm the opposite of Bill and find that I can do the OS 1 hour workouts and lose some weight when I am diligent and track calories. When I get down to IM training I tend to want to eat an bunch and find that I don't gain weight but eat enought to balance the deficit. So you plan to lose the additional 50 lbs is a good one.
Just get out now and do some cool stuff with your friends get in a September 1/2 marathon and then have a week or two off for the start of the OS. Continue to watch and lose weight and realize that with the caloric deficit not every workout will feel good, which is the case anyway in the OS.
Gordon
I found that I got down to 68 kgs (from 78 kgs) during that time while still having plenty of energy to train. I would train first thing in am on an empty stomach and only took water during the sessions. I had breakfast straight afterwards as my recovery meal.
Later-on, when I was training for 70.3s, I found it much harder to lose weight as I was always needing to fuel before as well as during the sessions and needed recovery meals afterwards.
Good luck
Peter
Re: Bill- sure you CAN lose weight during the OS, but after you get past the first 8-10 weeks, hitting the workouts alone is enough to be focussed on without trying to have a limited diet/weight loss goal. It IS doable, but if weight loss is goal #1, the OS probably isn't the answer because the OS's main goal is to go faster. So, I agree with loading up a basic week, something like week 12-14 of a HIM plan, limiting the swimming for now, to hold on to and repeat for a period of time. Besides, the cycling is the easiest way to lose the weight - least impact, longest workouts, most kcals burned.
Re: Al- enjoy the weather while you can! See if you can find a late season race to go do, for fun, or maybe some kind of long charity ride or something. Maybe put together a group ride to the beach that takes 2-3 days to complete. Just change it up and enjoy the outdoors a little.
I am doing IMTX with you next year, so, I will look forward to seeing you at the finish line, completing your first IM. It will be a fun day!
Re: half-marathon hack- it's not really needed as you'll see that the OS pretty much builds you up to be able to do a half marathon easily. If you wanted something outside the OS you could always follow the marathon hack and just dial down the time/distance to suit half-marathon training.
Victor - I agree, it's too early to start a single minded focus on the next IM. This Fall is plenty early to start that.
While I'm not a nutritionist, and I know you have a dietician you consult, I found this summary of a recent New England Journal of Medicine review of foods which enhance weight stability (covering 120,000 people over 12-20 years) to be fascinating, and somewhat reassuring, being a person who exists partly on dairy and peanut butter.
My N=1 experience is: run frequency (not volume or intensity necessarily, that will come) combined with good diet gets the weight off and also keeps you in the tri game. In fact, tri is ultimately all about the run, so a run schedule that is time efficient, and which focuses on form will have you WAY AHEAD and ready to rock when you go back on an IM plan.
From pulling on the shorts and shoes to stretch, eat and shower you're talking an hour a day. Keep it simple.
Btw, congrats on the progress you've made thus far. Very impressive.
Oh dear God, PUT THE OS PLAN DOWN AND STEP AWAY!!!!
If you feel burnt out now, imagine how you will feel 6 months from now if you get all head down into the OS plan with a big IMTX target on your head. Go have fun with your friends and get some joy back into training. Have fun with your fitness and do the things you like to do. By doing what you WANT to do (vs what a plan says you 'have' to do), you are going to get out there, do more, and have more success with your weight goals. Does running help you loose weight? Run. Does biking lots of hours give you thrills and drop lbs for you? then Bike!
Take the next 3-4 months to focus your weight goals (and yes- maybe set up a mid-term race goal, like a half mary or something you can do with friends and have fun with). AND most important, give yourself a mental break. I mean a REAL mental break here!
The OS plan and IMTX training will come soon enough. And with the body comp in check, you'll be able to focus just on those plans vs everything else as well.
Hey Vic:
First, congrats on the weight loss. I lost ~100 pounds in 2004 and havan't looked back. Good work.
The #1 thing I "hear" in your post is that you haven't given yourself ANY real headspace down time. Like Nemo said. Mental down time is as important and physical. You had been going for months and months and then IMTX and then you took only 3 weeks off and then plowed into another IM registration and training. In my experience (and of many in da Haus), I would walk away from any formal training and give yourself some real, solid down time. Seriously. Walk away. Just have "fun with your fitness." No pressure with timelines, etc.
Also, 50 pounds in 5 months = 10 lbs/month = 2.5 lbs/week. That is a healthy weekly weight loss goal, but the holidays are coming. I know many of us have a hard time with weight during the holidays? And what if you hit a plateau and don't lose anything for 3 weeks? Just a couple of things to consider. Maybe lose what you can up to Thanksgiving, maintain over the holidays and then start the loss again after the New year?
But just to reiterate, I suggest standing down and give your mind and body a chance to recover. It's only August and IMTX is a very long 9+ months away.
John
@Nemo, your prayer has been answered. I'm putting down the plan and going to have some fun with my fitness the rest of the season.
@John, Appreciate that. I'm throwing the "50" number out there but I haven't a clue if that number is "my" number. I don't want to get too hung up on a number, especially as I'm no man's land, not having weighed below 300 since before I got married 19 years ago. So, if it's 200, 220, 180, I don't know. I just know it's not 250. So, my plan is to basically just plug away like I've done in the past with a MUST DO of being at or around my target weight by end of January.
@Al, good article.
@Paul @Chris @Lauren @Bill @Al @Rich @Gordon @Peter @Stephen @CoachP @Jennifer @Al and @Chris thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts and helping me get my head on straight.
Vic = Smart (and skinny) man!
Rock on, brotha!
@Nemo - The thread has died and I now just post in the dashboard with the spreadsheet link. It still happens every Wednesday, where have you been? If there is a request for a thread I can bring it back by popular demand.
@ everyone - feel free to sign up on the current spreadsheet it just has a goal along with tracking gain loss over each week. I will start a new spreadsheet for the October OS.
I set the dashboard post up in the body composition group so join up and share thereyour weigh loss successes or woes there. Look for my post tomorrow morning.
Gordon
Although you have made your decision to stand down from IM training and smarter people than I have commented, I am going to look at this from a different angle.
Many people hit the "ten weeks out" period in ironman training and seem to hit a wall. I did it leading up to IMCDA, several others hit it 10 weeks out from IMLP. I was backing out of IMCDA and selling my tribike! I took a few days off and viola I was stronger and more motivated than I had ever been. The last 9 weeks of Ironman training leading up to IMCDA were the best training weeks I have ever had. So now as I start the build for IMAZ I will be aware of the "burnout" around the middle of September.
As others have said, give yourself some time to relax. You've been pushing hard. Mentally and physically you need a break.
@Steve I hear what you're saying. Good thoughts. I think my situation is not so much burnout as it is I need to FOCUS on THE ONE thing. Right now, to make that ONE THING a 140.6 race is just not a smart thing. My ONE THING has to be getting this last 50 off and getting my body comp to a point where come January, my ONE THING can be IMTX. For everything I've ever done as an athlete (2 marathons, HIM, IMTX, etc.), I"ve always had to concentrate on the training AND losing weight. My dream is to get to a point where I can think some if not mostly on my performance and my training, and not have to worry so much about losing weight at the same time. There's a difference between "leaning out" during IM training and having to drop 50 pounds. I'd like to start January with an Large order of IM training with a small side of "leaning out".
@Penny I keep pretty up to date on my measured RMR and have that programmed into Training Peaks, always working on my deficits. I would be interested in tracking my body comp. I'll e-mail you. Thanks. Btw, you probably know my RD, Catherine Kruppa?