My goal is to train so that I can finish Ironman Florida '14 in under 10 hours. I finished in 10:12 and 10:14 respectively in '08 and '09. I haven't finished an Ironman since. I don't train like I used to. Not even close. Don't plan on it either. But think based on experience and a base built up over several years now, it is attainable. I plan to swim in 1:10; ride 5 hours, and run 3:40. This is my journey....
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Wednesday: 20 mile bike; 17 mile run; abs
a.m. 13.18 mile run. 2:00:31. 9:08min/mi
p.m. 20 mile recovery ride. 1:02:14; 175w; 117bpm; 81rpm. Followed by a 4 mile brick run. 36:51. 9:12min/mi. 125bpm
I just found your blog. Are you really riding all of those miles all of those days?!!! that's insane. How do you find the time and physical ability to put your body through that? is that good? looks like 200-300 miles a week. the running is minimal seems like. no rest days? are those rides indoors on a trainer or outside?
I am curious about the sub-10 goal as I'm a 11:25 and 11:53 IM'er myself. The next one i do i don't want to settle for anything less either. I can ride and swim big but need to learn to run big to get there.
I'll try to respond in more detail over the weekend. Keep in mind, I haven't raced since Novemebr 07 so I have no idea whether my training will work, but I have never been in better shape. My training protocol is based on high volume. I tend to get injured if I run too much or train too hard. As a result, I try to bike as much as possible, run 30-40 mpw, and squeeze in swimming when I can, which most of the year, was zero.
Here are some of the things I do, and as I said, I will try to elaborate this weekend.
Always train very easy. Even my non easy days are actually quite easy. I have been going now since last Novemebr and have still yet to hit Ironman pace for any given workout, and by that I don't mean the pace at which I intend to race, but my current Ironman pace based on heart rate. I plan to race at 158-161bpm; I have yet to average above the low 150s for any workout, and even those workouts are scarce. Do easy workouts everyday and suddenly it is not so easy anymore. On recovery days, go even easier. For me, recovery is 114-123bpm, which is well below zone 1. If you feel tired after any given workout, you went too hard. Ironman is about endurance and nothing else. I'll have maybe 4-8 weeks where I go Ironman pace. Everything else is easy and easier.
Split up workouts. Bike and Run when you can, even if for only 10- 20 minutes at a time. Bike and/or run twice a day.
I try to bike every day. I am not always successful, but if I miss one or two days, it really sets me back and takes me awhile to get going again.
Bike indoors. You don't have to worry about stop signs, lights, cars, getting ready etc. Saves lots of time. I also recently bought a small computer I can use on my bike, which now really saves me a lot of time as I can check email and the Internet when I bike. I wake up and literally within 5 minutes I am on my bike. I eat breakfast and/or dinner on the bike which also saves times (and has the added benefit of teaching your body to digest while riding). Furthermore, by biking indoors, it is easier to monitor progress.
Forget about the swim until the race is approaching. You'll have the fitness to get through it from biking and running. You might not be fast, but the opportunity cost to train for the swim is too high, unless you are elite. Rather than, swimming for a 1 hour, because of the time it takes to get to the pool, change, unwind, etc., I can get 1:30-2 hours on the bike. A 10 minute differential in your swim time won't make or break your race.
Rest days are overrated. I don't think you need them, unless you don't have time to train, or your body is telling you so. Do recovery days instead.
A little every day adds up. 1 hour on the bike per day M-F already gives you close to 100 miles. One or two longer rides on the weekend, and you are at 200 already for the week.
That is what I generally try to do, but check back sat or sun and I'll try to expand on it.
Wow, that's some serious training! I only went over 200 miles in one week on the bike once during my 11:25 IM in Florida. I like your commitment but have one area of disagreement- rest days. Everyone needs a rest day and benefit from them, even the pro's. I see what you're saying about the 2 days off the bike and your body loses that snap but 99% of experts would tell you to rest, regardless of whether you feel you need it or not. Everyone is different too, but there's something biological that happens when you give it a full day of rest. muscle rebuilds and it's like getting sleep for your muscle. otherwise you just go flat. but it sounds like it's working for you. I would also caution against riding too much indoors. the trainer isn't the real thing and being too used to that could give you a false sense of fitness. "56" on the bike isn't 56 on the road. but again, as long as you're doing the weekend rides, I'll bet you'll rip the 112 mile course on race day.
I totally agree on the swim being a waste of time. I swam 176,000 yards of swimming for my first Ironman. I wasn't a swimmer so i had to go big, and did it in 1:01. I did two more Ironman's and barely swam for those. In fact, the last race I got into the pool, i kid you not, twice doing 2,000 yards each time. I had been going to the gym very consistently doing upper body for a year prior, so I knocked out 2 swims of 2k each and was ready! I did that race in 1:09 or 1:15, i forget. the loss of time wasn't worth the training. I like to swim though, and do think that if you're not in good swim shape AND want to have a good bike time to follow, then being out of shape for the swim will debilitate your energy on the bike leaving you flat. So I would agree on spending less time on the swim training but don't overlook it too much.
I too can't run that much as I'm 185-190 lbs and get shin splints easily, so will take it slowly on the training for that.
3 comments:
I just found your blog. Are you really riding all of those miles all of those days?!!! that's insane. How do you find the time and physical ability to put your body through that? is that good? looks like 200-300 miles a week. the running is minimal seems like. no rest days? are those rides indoors on a trainer or outside?
I am curious about the sub-10 goal as I'm a 11:25 and 11:53 IM'er myself. The next one i do i don't want to settle for anything less either. I can ride and swim big but need to learn to run big to get there.
I'll try to respond in more detail over the weekend. Keep in mind, I haven't raced since Novemebr 07 so I have no idea whether my training will work, but I have never been in better shape. My training protocol is based on high volume. I tend to get injured if I run too much or train too hard. As a result, I try to bike as much as possible, run 30-40 mpw, and squeeze in swimming when I can, which most of the year, was zero.
Here are some of the things I do, and as I said, I will try to elaborate this weekend.
Always train very easy. Even my non easy days are actually quite easy. I have been going now since last Novemebr and have still yet to hit Ironman pace for any given workout, and by that I don't mean the pace at which I intend to race, but my current Ironman pace based on heart rate. I plan to race at 158-161bpm; I have yet to average above the low 150s for any workout, and even those workouts are scarce. Do easy workouts everyday and suddenly it is not so easy anymore. On recovery days, go even easier. For me, recovery is 114-123bpm, which is well below zone 1. If you feel tired after any given workout, you went too hard. Ironman is about endurance and nothing else. I'll have maybe 4-8 weeks where I go Ironman pace. Everything else is easy and easier.
Split up workouts. Bike and Run when you can, even if for only 10- 20 minutes at a time. Bike and/or run twice a day.
I try to bike every day. I am not always successful, but if I miss one or two days, it really sets me back and takes me awhile to get going again.
Bike indoors. You don't have to worry about stop signs, lights, cars, getting ready etc. Saves lots of time. I also recently bought a small computer I can use on my bike, which now really saves me a lot of time as I can check email and the Internet when I bike. I wake up and literally within 5 minutes I am on my bike. I eat breakfast and/or dinner on the bike which also saves times (and has the added benefit of teaching your body to digest while riding). Furthermore, by biking indoors, it is easier to monitor progress.
Forget about the swim until the race is approaching. You'll have the fitness to get through it from biking and running. You might not be fast, but the opportunity cost to train for the swim is too high, unless you are elite. Rather than, swimming for a 1 hour, because of the time it takes to get to the pool, change, unwind, etc., I can get 1:30-2 hours on the bike. A 10 minute differential in your swim time won't make or break your race.
Rest days are overrated. I don't think you need them, unless you don't have time to train, or your body is telling you so. Do recovery days instead.
A little every day adds up. 1 hour on the bike per day M-F already gives you close to 100 miles. One or two longer rides on the weekend, and you are at 200 already for the week.
That is what I generally try to do, but check back sat or sun and I'll try to expand on it.
Wow, that's some serious training! I only went over 200 miles in one week on the bike once during my 11:25 IM in Florida. I like your commitment but have one area of disagreement- rest days. Everyone needs a rest day and benefit from them, even the pro's. I see what you're saying about the 2 days off the bike and your body loses that snap but 99% of experts would tell you to rest, regardless of whether you feel you need it or not. Everyone is different too, but there's something biological that happens when you give it a full day of rest. muscle rebuilds and it's like getting sleep for your muscle. otherwise you just go flat. but it sounds like it's working for you. I would also caution against riding too much indoors. the trainer isn't the real thing and being too used to that could give you a false sense of fitness. "56" on the bike isn't 56 on the road. but again, as long as you're doing the weekend rides, I'll bet you'll rip the 112 mile course on race day.
I totally agree on the swim being a waste of time. I swam 176,000 yards of swimming for my first Ironman. I wasn't a swimmer so i had to go big, and did it in 1:01. I did two more Ironman's and barely swam for those. In fact, the last race I got into the pool, i kid you not, twice doing 2,000 yards each time. I had been going to the gym very consistently doing upper body for a year prior, so I knocked out 2 swims of 2k each and was ready! I did that race in 1:09 or 1:15, i forget. the loss of time wasn't worth the training. I like to swim though, and do think that if you're not in good swim shape AND want to have a good bike time to follow, then being out of shape for the swim will debilitate your energy on the bike leaving you flat. So I would agree on spending less time on the swim training but don't overlook it too much.
I too can't run that much as I'm 185-190 lbs and get shin splints easily, so will take it slowly on the training for that.
looking forward to your wknd response, thanks!
Charlie
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