Need some veteran help!!

Briansmeby

 Ok guys, here it goes (sorry if too long)

I am currently working a 12 day on 2 day off rotation on the Mexican border in Texas. With every other day on a 24 hr call. I get every other weekend off to see family, the other weekend I'm on call fri, sat, sun. I have a fairly large amount of time to train since my wife and 5 kids are not with me, and I just have to be available to hospital after cases are done. No distractions makes this a great opportunity to just train my a&& off to do my first ironman. Here are the questions

1. No pool here except small apt pool. Plan to be home by end of July and swim my butt off for oct 20th ultra dist. Will try to get in pool and do drills, and try to do some swimming when I do get to go home every other weekend. I think this is doable. Am I crazy? Ps not a great swimmer. 

2. Is it ok to do weekend workout through the week?  I can actually get away from hospital when not on call for uninterrupted training. 

 And can the workouts be changed up through the week if necessary. (ie. Monday is sometimes a great time to work out, sometimes I leave hospital at 10pm. 

3 what are suggestions if I find I have extra time to train? Absolutely nothing other than prescribed workouts, resistance training, core work, cardio (walking in am). I am 6'0 and about 225. I would like to drop some weight and tone. 

I REALLY want to do this and make this happen. It works out for me and my family to sacrifice now when we're already apart. I know y'all understand this because I always see ROI ans SAU! Lol. Thanks in advance for your answers and ideas. I am loving this place, and appreciate the answers, encouragement, and support that is given. 

Coach Rich

Posted By Brian Smeby on 16 Feb 2012 12:48 PM

 Ok guys, here it goes (sorry if too long)

I am currently working a 12 day on 2 day off rotation on the Mexican border in Texas. With every other day on a 24 hr call. I get every other weekend off to see family, the other weekend I'm on call fri, sat, sun. I have a fairly large amount of time to train since my wife and 5 kids are not with me, and I just have to be available to hospital after cases are done. No distractions makes this a great opportunity to just train my a&& off to do my first ironman. Here are the questions

1. No pool here except small apt pool. Plan to be home by end of July and swim my butt off for oct 20th ultra dist. Will try to get in pool and do drills, and try to do some swimming when I do get to go home every other weekend. I think this is doable. Am I crazy? Ps not a great swimmer. You'll be fine, given the date of your A-race

2. Is it ok to do weekend workout through the week?  I can actually get away from hospital when not on call for uninterrupted training. Yes. Suggest you use the Micro Thread if you have questions for us about how to change up a training week.

 And can the workouts be changed up through the week if necessary. (ie. Monday is sometimes a great time to work out, sometimes I leave hospital at 10pm.  See Micro thread above. That is, there are situations/times of the year where this is less of an option, or rather there are additional considerations.

3 what are suggestions if I find I have extra time to train? Absolutely nothing other than prescribed workouts, resistance training, core work, cardio (walking in am). I am 6'0 and about 225. I would like to drop some weight and tone. Core work, yes. Weight training...dunno. Walking is fine. Re weight loss, we have a lot of resources and knowledge in here around that, see the nutrition forum, body comp accountability group, and the wiki. However, one very common theme here is people look at our schedules, see the hours, and think it's light and they can do more. The short answer is that our definition of "work" is likely very different from yours. Just take our plans for a spin, as is, without adding much extra credit work, for about 4-5wks.

I REALLY want to do this and make this happen. It works out for me and my family to sacrifice now when we're already apart. I know y'all understand this because I always see ROI ans SAU! Lol. Thanks in advance for your answers and ideas. I am loving this place, and appreciate the answers, encouragement, and support that is given. 

 

Briansmeby

Thanks coach!! That was quick! Love what y'all have done. I get the feeling that it's all about getting quality work done. The prescribed order is best, just getting it done is next best! Sorry posted in wrong place I'm still a FNG at this point. Lol. Thanks again!

mgraffeo

Brian, on the swimming, I think I swam a total of 10 times in the 8 weeks leading up to my first IM. If you're comfortable in the water, you can find a way to get to the end. Is it optimal? Probably not, but is it doable? Yes.

Also, if your swim form is already decent, I'd seriously look at some stretch cord training. If not, have someone teach you how to catch and how to use stretch cords, and then do it.

Briansmeby

 Thanks Mike!  Not a great swimmer but can doggie paddle with the best! Lol. Would like to know more about these stretch cords. I plan on using a tether for my leg to tie to the pool ladder to get some water training. My ex brother in law says it helped him. Yep, I'm a redneck!!! Lol

Tom Glynn

Mix up workouts if you have to. I'm a stay at home dad and rarely workout on weekends. I just juggle as needed, trying to get as much rest as possible between important workouts. Do what you got to do!

Gordon Cherwoniak

Brian,

Get input in the mirco thread where on the particulars as coach Rich mentioned.  That is actually throw up a schedule and get comment from the coaches there.

Here are a couple articles in the wiki:

1)  Mike G wrote this one on focusing on what matters in the OS.  Some of this relates to a power meter focus on the bullets at the bottom if you train with heart rate.

http://members.endurancenation.us/R...+in+the+OS

2) This is from the self coaching manual and looks at many things see the additional notes for priorty workouts after you have transitioned to the race plans 1/2 and full IM plans.

http://members.endurancenation.us/R...usting+You

3)  There's a core workout section about 1/2 way down the wiki page:

http://members.endurancenation.us/R...f+Contents

As for swimming I am comfortable in the water and can get through an IM swim on 1-2 swims a week.  I'm not fast but get done in around 1:30.  If your swim times a slower that 1:45-2H IM swim you should look at working this is as best you can as you don't want your day to end because of the cutoff.

Gordon