Let's get this board going!
Even though we're still a couple weeks away from the final 12-week push, everyone out there must be working hard already. How about some training updates?
After two weeks of transition, I got back into the routine last week. I loaded up the 20-week plan, which I understand is almost the same as the 12-week plan with some basic weeks added to the front end. I'm trying to follow it, but I've got some races on the weekends requiring some juggling.
Swimming: I've been back in the pool for 6 weeks, and just had a revelation the last couple days. I resumed my swimming doing 100 yard repeats in the 1:47 range and worked that down to 1:39 or 1:40 over the first few weeks. Yesterday, I decided to move my arms faster and not try to push as much water. Essentially, I'm using a smaller gear--using a smaller "paddle" with less resistance but a higher cadence. My times dropped to the 1:34 range with the same apparent effort.
Biking: This has been tough. I wasn't able to bike the first 6 days of my family vacation, though I did do a 2.5 hour mountain bike ride in Marin County down the legendary Repack Road with my brother. During transition, I also did the local daily noon "crit" in Hain's Point in DC and got blown out the back. But I just can't hold those FTP intervals. Hopefully my bike mojo will return.
Running: I had a great race in the Marin Headlands 10 days ago. It was a 7-mile trail race with a climb of 800' in the first 1.5 miles. We don't have stuff like that here in the DC area. And the last 1/2 mile was on thick sand along the beach. I ran 9:03 miles and was 8th out of 150, which shows how tough the course is. And on Sunday, I ran the Cherry Blossom 10 MIler in a PR of 1:08:32, 50 seconds faster than my 10 mile PR from last fall and 10.5 minutes faster than I ran the same race last spring. I'm hoping to break 40' in an upcoming downhill 10k.
I'm doing an olympic tri this weekend with Chris Walz, another EN member. And I'm dreading all the business travel I have coming in the next few weeks but will do what I can to stay with the program. I'm also doing a century May 8 in lieu of the planned bike ride.
How is everyone else doing?
Comments
I've been in the pool since the last week of OS just doing the Position and Propulsion Progressions two or three times a week. My swimming went backward from last week the 2 x 3x100's were on or around 1:35 but was going at 1:41's last night. I chalked it up to having to swim at night after a long weekend, dinner and having to share a lane with three people but excuses are a slippery slope. Anyway, I'm not much of a swimmer. I've always followed the Total Immersion school of thought and tend to go for less strokes. That whole premise is based on efficiency, so why wouldn't the masher vs. spinner argument hold water in water.
P
Hello fellow IMLP'ers. After the OS, I took 2 weeks much need transition and just last week jumped into week 5 of the 20 week plan.
However, my running is more like on the couch to 5k plan at this point. I've had various set backs since the beginning of Feb, but I think I'm finally bouncing back. No distance at this point (which kind of scares me), but I'm doing the frequency thing and my injured arse, I mean glute has been responding nicely.
After following the OS plan pretty much to the letter, my outdoor riding has been very unstructured. I've been doing lots of rides with others with no agenda other than to ride like hell. It's been a nice change of pace. This will be my second year of bike racing and I've got a few bike races on the shcedule in April and May that I'm looking forward to.
Heading out to CA for the EN Tour of California trip in May. I did it last year and we had a blast. Very much looking forward to this year and catching up with the 2009 returnees as well as meeting all the other EN'ers attending this year.
Swimming has been good. I hate getting there, but once I'm in the pool it feels good to stretch out.
Fingers crossed, knocking on wood, and throwing salt over my shoulder for an injury free next few months.
I'm very much looking forward to sharing our ups and downs as we journey to the starting line of IMLP 2010!
Dave
I've been getting a few 1:1 swims sessions with a local pro.
I've tried a few bike races, need to get my watts/kg >3 to hang with the pack though
I got a new tri-bike about a month ago and now saving a few more dollars to go from wired to wireless power.
I've got a short vacation scheduled the 2nd weekend of the 12 weeks leading up to race day.
Oh yeah, and I'm totally psyched for IMLP and meeting like 30+ EN Teammates !!!!!
Hey gang.
I am also in week 2 of the GP2. I swam a bit during the OS, but the Endurance Sets of the GP plan are giving me quite the workout! Still, it's good to be back in the pool with a purpose.
Run is coming along well. During the winter I ran with a local running group that held a race nearly every weekend, which were rarely cancelled for snow, ice or cold. Help keep my fitness over the winter and I developed a toughness of racing in 18 degrees.
Bike is a bit of a different story. I made some real solid gains early in the OS on my road bike (needed to mix things up), but I have lost a bit of that mojo. I am currently working with Todd at TTBikefit, so I think I will have the proper set-up for my race prep, but just need to recruit some different muscles.
Good luck to everyone.
Brad
Hi Gang
Just switched to week 2 of GP1, beginner. I have also been on the injured reserved list for way too long ( Missed all races last year), but things are getting better.
Dave Halligan- I'm with you on then couch to running thing, but I'm running short amts of time and supplementing with pool running. My OS was inconsistent beacuse at times even cycling would bother my knee. Was having problems with hamstring tendonitis- where the hamstrings insert at Tibia and my patella- all due to orthotics that were prescribed for me jan 09. got rid of them in late january '10,steroid injection into tendons, ART/Massages and since then my knee has slowly been getting better. Tonight I get to run 4x 5 min (1). It's a slow progression
Soooo, last weekend i did my first outside ride in a long time, then ran/ walked about 25 -30 min. I did it on the columbia tri course ( or part of it) in Columbia, MD. This weekend will ride the Eagleman HIM bike Course. Will be in RI working with Todd Kenyon early May to tweak my bike fit
Swimming has been soso. Usually do ok but the other nights times were slow for me. need to get back with Masters for that push. Plan to go thurs am
I am doing race 5/23- Columbia Tri- olympic distance- excited and nervous since I missed all last year. Will plan to run/walk the run- probably a 5:1 run walk thing
Really looking forward to the journey to LP, meeting people at the rally. etc
Happy Training
Be safe on the raods,
Pg
Had a great first OS season with EN (did LSD last year) and had what I think are some solid gains.
I have been back in the pool for about 4-5 weeks now. I have been concentrating on endurance only at this point. I have been going to the pool and pounding out nothing less than 2000 steady at each session with most being 3000 yards (best time of 53 min). I had a mental problem with stopping about every 100-150 yards last year in KY so this year I have stayed away from the interval stuff in the pool and been grinding away at the mind-numbing 30-50 min steady swims and believe it or not I am starting to really enjoy it! My goal is to get in the water at LP and look at it as just another training swim with 2k of my closest friends.
Biking results have been killer. I have always been strong on the bike even at my size (6" 4" 220lbs) but by training with power and following the OS to the T, I have gotten even stronger. Early season group rides have been a blast. One guy in our local club, a nationally ranked cat 3 rider, "use to" drop me like a bad habit last year, not his year! I am looking forward to the EN TOC in May for some serious hill work. I know it's going to be tough dragging my big arse over/through Cali but the pay off will be huge come July.
Running gains have also been good. I think mostly due to learning how to suffer!! The OS program has been just what I have needed on the run. My running partners are looking at me sideways trying to figure out what I'm on...I'm on the fookin program!!! Work Works!!! Period end of subject!
My goal now is to put the far on top, stay injury free and swim steady. I know that I have done all the work on the bike and the run.
On one hand I want to scream at the world about the EN way and the other I want to keep it to myself
I wish everyone a safe and injury free race prep and see you in LP!!!
Mike
OMG!
Just lurking as I am doing IMC. For those with running issues I experience the same problems in 2004 when I did the race in Lake Placid. My longest run before the race was 5-6 miles. I ensured that I did some longer walk/run to get the feet ready. Not sure this was a good thing but I did it and completed the race so don't worry. My only issues was that around 20-22 miles the bottoms of my feet were sore.
I believe that I ran about 8 maybe 10 miles in 04 so be prepared for that if you have minimal base. I had taken 2 months off running maybe 3. I believe I got in 5 weeks of running pre-race. I also over cooked myself on the bike. I believe that if you can get the long run up beyond 13 miles you should be able to run most of the race (20 miles) maybe more depending on how much you want to push through.
My keys were:
1) to start out slow and make sure to take in the crowd but don't go crazy. With the EN protocol this should not be an issue.
2) Make sure that you walk the aid stations. You don't have the milage in so take the opportunity to assess the body after each mile.
3) Walk the big hill both in to and out of town each lap. Ensure that you do this going out as well your quads will take a pounding going down and the HR really suffers coming up. There's really no reasons to redline yourself here twice.
4) Depending on how you feel in the last 4-6 miles latch on to someone as a pacer. Just ensure that they are not going to blow you up 2 miles in to that 4-6.
5) You go by the finish on each lap be mentally prepared to hear "you are an IM" while you have another lap to do. On the second time the little out and back section (I can't remember maybe 1 mile total) is longer than you think just keep an even pace if you are just holding on. Save the sprint for the oval.
Gordon
Checking in!
I've been trying to get well rested (still a struggle) and yet also gear up to be ready to hit the 12 weeks hard. That's my primary focus. I've hit some workouts, but been highly inconsistent over the last several weeks. Business travel has caused me to need a lot more recovery than usual recently. I have done 2 90 minute runs (each one better than the last), and one 3 hour bike. I haven't swam in a month. That'll change on Friday.
Travelling next week, and after that, it's on!
Mike