Picking an early season HIM
I am trying to figure out my races for next year and am a bit stumped. Well, not stumped, but wanted some opinions. My super mac-daddy, AAA race of the year will be IMWI and in looking at the "perfect season" plan for that race, it has an OS that starts in January, converting to a GF or HIM plan at the end of April and starting IM training June 17. Pretty simple actually - but that doesn't fit exactly fit with what I want to do.
In that "perfect season", doing an HIM at the beginning of June looks, well, "perfect". Such as Raleigh or Kansas. The problem is that I failed to register for Raleigh before it sold out and I just did Kansas this year and would like to try something different. Two races I have my eye on are either Nola or Rev3 Knoxville. But because those are so early (late April, early May), I'm guessing I would have to miss out on the end of the OS plan to be able to start at least a portion of the HIM plan in time.
Before asking my questions, I must say that my absolute goal for next year is to perform as well and as fast as possible at IMWI. Anything that would deter from that goal is off the table. So...
1. Would missing the last few week of OS to get some HIM training in for Nola or Knoxville hurt or would that still be okay?
2. For those who have raced Nola and/or Knoxville, are they worth it? I was pleased with Kansas and wouldn't mind doing it again - but would like to do something different if it wouldn't hurt. But if those races suck, then I won't bother.
3. Are there any other races that I could consider in the "early May/late June" timeline? I live in Alabama, so I can't make it up to Quassy and travel distance is somewhat limited. Kansas is about as far as I could go and that's only because I have family there. I don't see any other options from Ironman or Rev3 but didn't know if there are others that I just don't know about.
Any advice/opinion would be great! Thanks!!
Comments
If its truly only 3 weeks you would be missing I agree you will be fine. The OS is truly where we bust the move and get faster, stronger, and in my opinion start to build the mental 6 pack for the rest of our season.
If raced Kansas a few times and will be doing it again next year along with IM Wisc.
Best of luck with your season!!
I've got a season much like you're planning... IM Tahoe Sept 22, preceeded by St George 70.3 first weekend May. My plan is to do the full 14 week OS starting Oct 29, then do however many weeks of HIM training are left. My feeling is short shrift the HIM plan, rather than the OS, since the HIM is not your A race. But then, I swim 2 x a week during the OS.
May/June will be a combo of Get Faster plan + a bike focus for a few weeks. Then IM training starts 12 weeks before IMahoe
Coach P - if I were to split the season as you say and start the OS that early would I still be able to do an SSB at some point? I really really want to focus on my running with that - so would that go at the end of the OS? Then go into the HIM plan?
The NOLA 70.3 is a cursed race. I know they finally changed the swim to a "protected" marina (only took them five years to figure that out) but the marina is still on Pontchartrain and presumably still subject to issues. Maybe not as many issues moving it out from the open but I'd still say a threat exists. Anyone that registers for NOLA given it's history is a brave individual. I have registered for that race twice and got burned both times.