I am feeling a little better, but took the day off anyway. I obviously did very little training this week, but I needed the rest and the break--both mentally and physically--before I start my build toward the race. I took the day to get everything in order and organized to minimize as much as possible anything that would otherwise distract me from training over the next 8 weeks.
Tomorrow I start a 4 week Tempo bloc. Tempo for me is done at 154-158bpm, which turns out to be upper aerobic zone, or upper zone 2 and done at 70-75rpm. I first learned about these tempo rides by reading up on Chris Carmichael's training techniques. Tempo, as I will use it, is less intense than what I have read others define Tempo as. But I will still be riding at higher heart rate intensities and higher power outputs than I have been all year. These heart rates will be similar to my Ironman pace. The goal is to build up to about 2 and half hours at Tempo pace over the next 3 weeks. Everything else will be very easy.
Runs wills continue to be easy. I unfortunately, don't have the run fitness that I thought I would have at this point. I still need to increase by endurance base before I can run faster without getting injured. Time is now short. But I think I will be better off running higher volume than at higher intensities. I will try and get as fit as I can.
as for the swim, I will bring the volume up. I don't do any sets or intensity and don't plan on it. I just swim straight through without stopping. The goal for me is to get to the bike feeling fresh. But I don't think I am at 1:05 swimming fitness yet.
The time is now.
2 comments:
Clearly you are going to smash your old record last year at IM Florida. Kudos to you for exciting all of us who are reading your progress. Definitely an inspiration to those who love this sport.
The nature of triathlon is that you get good or fixated on one discipline and not so much on another. I think you know what you like and don't like so much. I am the poster child for how much time you lose on your swim when you don't train. I did a 1:01 after training very hard for an IM swim, and then 2 years later only swam 2 times in the pool (seriously) and then posted a 1:15. I was lifting weights a lot for that and the high reps and muscle pulled me through it. Point is, you don't lose that much time compared to the time you have to train.
But it's a triathlon and not a stage day bike race. You know well that you have to be fresh off of the swim for a good bike. More importantly, you're looking to post a sub-10 hour IM, which means being fresh off the bike for a solid run. Maybe backing off of your bike mileage, to let your legs rest and get in better running "condition". That means letting the shin splints go away via lowering your bike mileage. I don't mean increasing your run mileage necessarily, but you're biking almost 500 miles a week. You've mentioned your legs are overdeveloped- because of the biking. Just a thought. Higher quality bike miles, even at 300 max a week is very high mileage!!!...and might help you focus on your swim and run.
I'm not criticizing you, I'm really cheering you on and hoping to help you get to sub 10 hour. Cause if you do, I'm going to do the same regime! (minus the oxygen tent- I have a girlfriend who might put my ass out side if I bring in a tent:) )
Hey Charles, I appreciate comments and agree with what you have written. While it may seem like I enjoy the bike much more than the other disciplines, I actually love Ironman. I love the whole thing. Of course I love the bike as well, but I have really structured my training to my specific time constraints and physical constraints.
Swimming, unfortunately, just takes too much time out of my day because of the time it takes to get to the pool, get ready, shower afterwards, and then come back. By the total time it takes to get a 1 hour swim in, I can get close to a 2 hour bike in. Furthermore, as you pointed out, the swim is not really going to make or break your race. Initially, I wasn't doing any swimming at all at the beginning and middle of the year, but then I really started to enjoy it and so have been trying to go more often.
As far as running, there is no better feeling for me than to run fast. I get a much greater high when I have a good run workout than when I have a good bike workout. Unfortunately for me, my good run workouts are few and far between. I don't know what it is. I wish I did.
It very may well be that I bike too much to ever run well. And yes, when I went to the Dr., he told me I have a pretty big muscular imbalance between my calves and the muscles surrounding my shins. On the other hand though, I don't think I would improve that much by lessening my bike volume so I could run 10-15 miles more. I seem to get injured irrespective of how much I bike, as earlier in the year, I was only biking around 250 miles per week.
I happen to have very flat feet, which may contribute to my running problems as well. It's frustrating to say the least, but it is what it is. I'll just try to get in as good as shape as possible between now and the race.
As far as "smash[ing]" my old record, I am definitely in the best shape of my life. But training is not the race and racing is not training. I haven't done it yet. And quite truthfully, I even though I am in best shape of my life, I thought I would be in a lot better shape at this stage. But my whole training program has been structured to peak once and only once at the end of October. So I am still hopeful.
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