How do you handle OS when biking is going well, but running isn't or vice versa???

cam2win

I am quickly finding myself in a situation where I am following the OS biking workouts (at least for so far, week 3 has been kicking my butt), but I have not been following the running plan due to fitness & injury.

Since IM Wisconsin I have not done a ton of running.  My thought/plan was I will follow the bike plan and then run 4 miles a day 6 days a week to try and work on getting my run fitness up before I start trying to do these run intervals.  My orginial concern when I put this idea together was that I would end up injured trying to do the running intervals because I don't have much base running fitness.  I thought I would follow this protocol for NOV & DEC, then start following the EN running plan in Jan.

So I did that for about a week and a half and have been having some problems with tightness when I run in my left calf.  To be safe I took off most of last week and then decided to run after my Saturday ride.  Right away the calf was tight.  This week I went and saw a guy who performs the Graston Technqiue and haven't been running.  I will try running tomorrow after my bike ride to test out the calf.  Hopefully it will feel better and I can get back to running.

I now think I need to just stick to EN OS plan.  I think that first week and half was probably just to much load and my body didn't respond well to it.  Hopefully I will be back to running shortly.

My question/concern is I am in the Nov. OS and the bike is going well, but I am now probably a month behind on the run workouts.  I have noticed on the bike workouts the load is building, I would guess the same is true for the running program.  Should I, start everything over,  or just go with what's on the schedule for both biking and running or should I continue with the bike plan but go back and start on week 1 of the running plan?

Thank you for your help!

JT

Keith Wick

I would first look at the level of the plan you are on. If your doing Int. or Adv., then continue this on the bike, but maybe look at doing the Beginner run workouts until you get the calf figured out. When you're comfortable, you could then adjust the level of the plan to be where it should.

Gordon Cherwoniak

Jason,

With only 6 weeks off after IMWI and some running I don't see this as that big of of a gap in training, unless you had some running injuries last season?  Running 6 days a week is probably too much given the OS intenstiy on the bike.

I've done the split OS Nov/Jan and am actually doing it again this year although I hope to be running before January OS style. 

In 2009 I just picked up the running at week 1 in January and kept the biking going at what ever week I was in.  This may mean that you need to adjust the run weeks depending on you OS end date as there are 200/400/800 etc comming.  I'd post this in the macro thread to get the coaches perspective when you are close to healthy. 

Keith's suggestion on doing the beginner running is a good one as the ramp up will be slower than int or advanced. 

Beyond that set aside some time for stretching, roller work etc every day if possible.  I know as the OS builds this definitely helps for me.

Gordon

Coach Rich

What Keith said. You may also do something like:

• OS bike workouts, per the plan.
• Run 4x/wk at whatever intensity and volume feels right. In my experience, 4x is pretty safe. 5x requires a good bit of durability. 6x can get you into trouble if you haven't yet built some great durability.
• When you feel like, insert some tempo stuff into 1-2 of these runs, as you feel. That is, SWAG your T-pace and knock out a mile and see what happens.
• At that point maybe your OS running evolves into "this week I'm going to get a total of 2 x 1mi @ T-pace across my week. Then next week I'll see how 3 x 1mi feel, etc"
• At some point you may feel like you're ready drop into the OS run workouts more formally.

In the end, there's the OS plan but there's also your A-race on the calendar and backplanned from that date start of your A-race training plan. I was seriously jacked up, physically, and mentally, after IMWI. I'm no where near where I wanted/hoped I'd be right now. So in my head is Monday, June 18th -- 12wks out from IMWI when I'll formally get down to business for Wisconsin. Until then I'll take as much time as I want to get my run the best it can be, OS plan and/or Wildflower be damned.