Sport Today

  Hi, I was wondering how my training schedule sounds to people who
have already done Ironman distance races.  This year I went 4:28 for an
almost 1/2 Ironman in Cambridge, MD and I went 4:32 at Tupper Lake
Tinman.  I'm aiming for a 10:15 or so.( 1 hr swim - 5:20 bike - 3:50
run) I'll be arriving in Florida on Tuesday to get used to the heat and
humidity (I'm in Pennsylvania, now).

Here's the schedule

Mon    Tue       Wed          Thur          Fri         Sat         Sun

off   swim 4   bike 3        run 3         bike 2      run 4       ride
4    
or    bike 1                 swim 3        run 1
rock  run 2
climb

1= easy  run 25-35 min/bike 1-1:45
2=moderate run :40-:50/bike 2:00-2:30
3=hard run hilly :45-1:00/bike 2:00-3:00 hilly/swim 5x400 or 7x200
4=LSD run 2-3hrs/bike 4-7hrs/ swim 2500 straight or 2 or 3x1000

Each week, my runs increase :15 and my rides increase :30.  
Max 3:00 run 3 weeks before race then 2:00 2wks and 1:00 week before
Max 7:00 bike 4 weeks before race, then 6:00, 4:00 and 2:30 week before
I'm also planning on cutting out the #3 workouts the week before the
race.      
How does this sound?

Dear Fristname Lastname,
I am not sure I fully understand your 1,2,3,4 codes, but it seems
line there are no bricks. I would recomend a solid brick once a
week. I try to do at least a 100 mi bike and a 20 mi run brick
at least once or twice before an IM race.
Good luck

:   Hi, I was wondering how my training schedule sounds to people who
: have already done Ironman distance races.  This year I went 4:28 for an
: almost 1/2 Ironman in Cambridge, MD and I went 4:32 at Tupper Lake
: Tinman.  I'm aiming for a 10:15 or so.( 1 hr swim - 5:20 bike - 3:50
: run) I'll be arriving in Florida on Tuesday to get used to the heat and
: humidity (I'm in Pennsylvania, now).

: Here's the schedule

: Mon    Tue       Wed          Thur          Fri         Sat         Sun

: off   swim 4   bike 3        run 3         bike 2      run 4       ride
: 4    
: or    bike 1                 swim 3        run 1
: rock  run 2
: climb

: 1= easy  run 25-35 min/bike 1-1:45
: 2=moderate run :40-:50/bike 2:00-2:30
: 3=hard run hilly :45-1:00/bike 2:00-3:00 hilly/swim 5x400 or 7x200
: 4=LSD run 2-3hrs/bike 4-7hrs/ swim 2500 straight or 2 or 3x1000

: Each week, my runs increase :15 and my rides increase :30.  
: Max 3:00 run 3 weeks before race then 2:00 2wks and 1:00 week before
: Max 7:00 bike 4 weeks before race, then 6:00, 4:00 and 2:30 week before
: I'm also planning on cutting out the #3 workouts the week before the
: race.      
: How does this sound?

--
\|/ ____ \|/  you can't confuse him, he's not paying attention.          

/_( \_ / )_\  Official spokesman for the known universe

...

I'll be doing my fourth Great Floridian.  Be sure to bring some
low gears for the bike (I use a 42-28).  You probably won't need
a wetsuit (water was 80 F last year).  Heat training is a good idea.

For most people, the limiting factor in an Ironman is not aerobic
endurance, but the ability to take in food and water during the
race.  A pure carbohydrate diet will NOT work for over 6 hours,
which is why it is important to experiment with other foods.
Try a long, slow bike ride of 10-12 hours, eating the foods you
normally eat every day.  At the Great Floridian, you can leave
a cooler near the transition area which you can also access during
the middle of the bike and twice during the run.

Don't worry about your finish time for your first Ironman.  Give
yourself an easier goal for your second one.

--------------------------------        _\/_

#include "disclaimer.h"                |____|

I too did not understand these codes. Are they like Cobol?

I would recommend AGAINST doing any long bricks as described by Tom
and other sources too numerous to mention. For your first Ironman
this is completely unnecessary. Perhaps even for your 10th. IMHO,
fitness is not a concern if you can already bike 100 miles and run
20. I think doing this sort of training is only potentially harmfull.
Running for 20 miles after a 5+ hour ride is very *** your
body (you see plenty of people limping around after an Ironman).
You tend to run with a different stride and this may aggrivate or
cause injuries.
I agree that brick type workouts are important. You need to know how
your legs are going to feel after riding (for so long). I would
recommend (and did this summer for my first IM) maybe a 100 mile
ride followed by a 2-3 mile "tempo" run. "tempo" meaning brisk,
but not all that fast. This gives the legs the chance to feel
the transition. And besides, after 3 miles or so, you probably
won't start feeling any better (until you start hallucinating
anyway  :). Along these lines, short races are also appropriate
for this type of training.

This is just my view on things. I would be interested to know how
many agree with this, or if it sounds legit. The only thing you
ever hear about is how you have to do these long bricks, with
no other opinions.

myke

Actually, I found something interesting at IMC.  My injuries
WENT AWAY.   I had a chronic tight hamstring, tight ITB, and
chronic shin splints before the race. Then, after the
race, I had no pain in any of theses spots.  And, I don't mean
right after the race.  I was pain free for about 4 or 5 days.
I was totally psyched.  Now that I am graduallly working out
again the pains are returning. Strange ... huh?

John K.

This is interesting. I have had similar experiences in shorter races.
I have real bad shin problems/splints/stress fracture. I almost never
go two weeks straight being pain-free. However, my shins have
never, and I mean NEVER ever hurt while racing. Does this imply
that my stride is somehow different, and perhaps better when I
am running fast/ at race pace? Or does it mean that the bike "warm-up"
helps alot, or what? For reference, my shins really hurt when I
try to do intervals, or anything semi-fast in training. Any other
opinions out there?

myke

Are you doing a taper prior to these races?  If so, you might be
overtraining at other times and giving your body the rest it needs to
recover during your taper.  IMHO putting serious rest into your training
schedule after hard days as well as lots of stretching will do more for
your PR's than lots of hard days and intervals.  But I've never gone for
an IM so I have not tested those limits.     John Mosko

                   ^^^^^^^

I disagree with this thought.  

For IMC I did the following brick workouts:

(Bike distance/run distance) in miles

40/10
56/12
65/14
56/13 (1/2 Ironman)
76/15

My time was not spectactular in my first IM, but how cleanly I finished
was.  I was not dehydrated or beaten to a pulp as some people were.  I knew
what to expect in the big one.  

For my next Ironman race, I am going to do the following:

Phase 1:  Buildup base with long runs and bikes and VERY short bricks
          (sprint distance only)
          I found the most damage was caused by long runs.  I also
          found that once I hit 2-3 20+ milers, that the conditioning
          stayed in the legs for a LONG LONG time.  Thus I would do these
          early and far away from the actual race date.  

Phase 2:  Focus on long brick workouts and MINIMAL long runs
          I really think the key to the IM (and others may disagree)
          is coping with the stress of the run.  Long runs alone
          will not do this, IMHO.  

I think an Ironman participant needs to know the effect of the cycling
on the run.  Doing a 20 mile run is far FAR different than doing a 20 mile
run after a 2.4 mile swim and ESPECIALLY after the 112 mile bike ride.  
The stresses are extreme and if completely unknown, I think more often than
not the race will not be a good experience.  

Just my thoughts...

Rolf Arands, Ph.D.

|>
|> >I would recommend AGAINST doing any long bricks as described by Tom
|>                    ^^^^^^^
|>
|> I disagree with this thought.  
|>
|> For IMC I did the following brick workouts:
|>
|> (Bike distance/run distance) in miles
|>
|> 40/10
|> 56/12
|> 65/14
|> 56/13 (1/2 Ironman)
|> 76/15
|>

A friend of mine - a 7-time ironman finisher - said her best ironman
marathon (3:40) came after doing something very similar to what Rolf
did.  She did about 4-5 rides of 50-60 miles followed by runs of 12-15
miles.  She also ran 2-6 miles after each of her 4-5 100+ mile rides.
One year she tried doing a couple 100+20 bricks and found it burned
her out - her legs were flat on race day.

--
Mike Gilson
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

I would agree with myke, after all 100/20 cycle /run is virtually
an ironman. I would do a 3hr cycle /2hr run perhaps every 2 weeks
in a 10 week preparation period for an ironman. But then again
everyone is different.

Darren

Still tri-ing

--
Biomechanics Laboratory        
Dept of PE, SS & RM
Loughborough University
United Kingdom