My Focus for the Next 8 weeks

Starting next Monday, I will begin my training in earnest. My entire year will be based on getting my IM run time down--by an hour. I think I can get it down to 3:15-3:30, though some have told me that is overly ambitious considering where I am. I'm up for challenge. That doesn't mean I won't be biking. I will be biking a lot, up to 3 times as much as running. For the next 8 weeks, however, I will be biking very easy for most of my rides, mindful of watts, but staying in hr zone 1-low 2 regardless (mostly zone 1). And I doubt I will ever get out of zone 2 until maybe 6 weeks before the IM, if even then. That's the entire year. My focus will be simply to build bike fitness by spending lots of time in the saddle and to lose weight (I'm now at 162 but would like to be at 148 for IMFL--11 months away). I hope by staying in zone 1 for 8 weeks on the bike, I will start laying a good base, lose weight, and remain fresh enough to run and run and run day in and day out.

Recovery Week 3

Nov 19: Bike 60min: 138bpm
Nov 20: Bike 30min: 206w; 127bpm
Nov 21: Rest Day
Nov 22: Bike: FL: 2:34:37; 231w; 150bpm; 81rpm; 21.7mph
Nov 23: Bike 30min: 190w; 130bpm
Nov 24: Bike: FL: 2:36:41; 223w; 147bpm; 81rpm; 21.4mph; Brick run: 10min
Nov 25: Rest Day

Totals: Bike: 7.2 hours

Recovery Wk 2 Summary

11/12 - 60min bike
11/13 - 60min bike; 30min weights
11/14 - 70min bike; 30min brick run
11/15 - 60min bike
11/16 - Rest day
11/17 - 120min bike; 60min brick run w/Gigs
11/18 - 10K race (42:49)

Totals Hours: 8.8:
6.2 bike
2.2 run
0.5 weights

HR returning to normal

Bike 60min: 190w; 128bpm; 83rpm

First Run

Did first run since IM today as part of brick. Legs sore, but mostly from lifting yesterday.

Bike: 70min: 182w; 134bpm
Brick Run: 30min: 146bpm

Back in the Saddle

After a very easy week last week, I will take another three weeks pretty easy before ramping up. Yesterday I biked for 60min; 206w; 145bpm; and today I biked for 60min; 187w; 141bpm; and lifted legs for 30min. My heart rates are completely out of whack relative to where they were for the same power right before the Ironman, which suggests to me that I am still tired. I don't expect my HR to come down for a while, but for the next 12 weeks, if not more, I will be biking very easy -- mostly HR zone 1. After 10 days since the Ironman, I have my first run scheduled for tomorrow. My plan is to gradually build up the run over the next 8 weeks or so until I'm hitting 40-50miles/wk.

Quest for Sub 10

I completed my 4th Ironman last week. I trained hard; not hard enough. I need to finish the race in under 10 hours, and I plan to do that at Ironman Florida '08. My goal is to train so that I can complete the swim in 1:05, push 260-270 watts on the bike, and run a 3:30 marathon. These goals are within reach (I am currently at 10:50 Ironman fitness), but it will take a full year of dedicated, consistent training. This is my journey to a sub 10 Ironman....