Posts tagged fitspo

I’ve been really stressed about my pacing for Ironman Texas.  I’ve done three Ironman70.3’s, but I have no experience with longer tri’s, or even marathons.  So I did what I usually do when I have a question…I went to the Internet!!  The place with all the answers! :)  I found this article that tells me how to calculate my Ironman pacing based on my half-Ironman times.  So here is the breakdown:

Swim - double your HIM time, then subtract 5 mins

Bike - double your HIM time, then add 15 mins

Run - double your HIM time, then add 30 mins

Total Time = double your HIM time, plus 40 mins

If I use the last two HIM triathlons, these are the numbers I’m getting

Muncie 2011:

Swim = 45:51 x2 = 1:31:42 - 5mins = 1:26:42

Bike = 2:43:14 x2 = 5:26:28 + 15mins = 5:41:28 (19.67mph avg.)

Run = 2:04:49 x2 = 4:09:38 + 30mins = 4:39:38 (10:40 per mile avg.)

Total Time = 11:47:48

Steelhead 2010:

Swim = 39:02 x2 = 1:18:04 - 5mins = 1:13:04

Bike = 2:44:57 x2 = 5:29:54 + 15mins = 5:44:54 (19.48mph avg.)

Run = 2:01:47 x2 = 4:03:34 + 30mins = 4:33:34 (10:26 per mile avg.)

Total Time = 11:31:32

Let me conclude by saying, if I got either of those two times shown above, I would curl up in the fetal position, and cry like a baby…FOR JOY!!  I have to believe there is something wrong with those times.  I am hoping for somewhere around 13 hours…there is NO WAY I could do sub-12 in the shape that I am in…right?  Any other experienced Ironman Triathletes want to “weigh in” on this topic?

I don’t think that I have ever enjoyed a recovery week as much I as have these past 7 days.  I usually dread the downtime and severely reduced training that embodies the nature of recovery weeks.  However, the three week build that led up to this recovery week was almost more than my body could take.  Each week I was breaking into new ground in all three disciplines.  

It is hard enough breaking a distance record for a single discipline, but to do it in three disciplines in the same week, and then to do it three weeks in a row!!  My body was at a breaking point.  I made it a point to sleep till at least 7am in 6 of the 7 rest days….and it felt so good!  In all reality, I could probably use a little more rest, but with less than 100 days to train for Ironman Texas, I need to make sure I put in all the miles I can!

Next week will be the culmination, or the “apex” of my Ironman Training Calendar.  After next week, my training will begin gradually - and by gradually, I mean VERY gradually - becoming more focused on race day.  I will eventually begin incorporating some speed work and intervals into my training, in order to get my VO2 Max up, and push my Lactate Threshold.  I may even write a little “Info Article” on what the Lactate Threshold and VO2 Max are, and how you can change them to help your training.  My pre-med background has given me the knowledge, and it has definitely helped me understand the training process better!

Here is another pic of my training calendar - as you can see it is filling up fast!  Only about 3 months till the Ironman!

Block 5 Totals:

Swim - 25,100 meters

Bike - 486 miles

Run - 102 miles

Total Ironman Training Volume:

Swim - 91,850 meters (57.4 miles)

Bike - 1,858 miles

Run - 351.5 miles 

Longest Single Distance Covered:

Swim - 4400 meters

Bike - 102 miles 

Run - 20 miles 

Happy training everyone, and keep up the good work!

This has easily been the most brutal week of my training so far.  Obviously, Week 3’s are typically the most difficult because I am finishing up 21 straight days of training with only 2 days of rest, and, Week 3’s contain significantly more miles than either Week 1’s or Week 2’s!  

However, this Week 3 is almost at the apex of my training calendar…so all of my long workouts have been nearly Ironman distance, except for the swim - which was actually further than the Ironman distance.  It is really amazing to me that I actually complete each workout.  Every week I question whether or not I will be able to finish the next week, because the distances are so intimidating!  I remember wondering if I was going to be able to finish a 14 mile run…now…I WISH I only had to do 14 mile runs!  It’s weird how your perspective changes with training.

Week 1 of Block 6 will probably be my hardest week, mostly because it contains the largest aggregate volume and nearly the longest distances of my Ironman training (Long Swim - 4600m, Long Bike - 108mi, Long Run - 22mi).  But I’m trying not to focus on that because, again, I question whether or not I can complete those distances!  Until then, I am trying to stay relaxed, get lots of sleep, and just enjoy this much deserved recovery week!

In other news, I got 2 new swim suits and some goggles from TYR, as well as my first pair of 2XU compression socks for running.  I have used compression sleeves, but this will be my first time using the compression socks…hope they help! 

Block 5 - Week 3 Totals:

Swim - 8400 meters

Bike - 156 miles

Run - 34 miles 

Happy Training!! :)

Swam 2500 meters this morning in 53 minutes, followed by a 9 mile run, averaging  7:40 per mile.  That puts me at 8400 meters swimming and 34 miles running for the week!  My body is shot!  Somehow, I have to find it in me to bike 5hrs 40mins tomorrow morning.  Bleh.

In other news, I got some new training nutrition.  This stuff goes fast!

Its official…I am CERTIFIABLE!! I ran 20 miles today…ON A TREADMILL!!! Then swam 1500 meters.  This ties my run record.  Thank goodness I don’t have anymore long runs for 2 weeks!!

Run Time - 2:48:28

Avg. Speed - 8:25 per mile

Incline - 1%

I would really like to see my average speed drop to 8:15 or 8:00, I’m just not sure that is gonna happen while I train for Ironman.  My goal speed for the Ironman is a  10 minutes per mile, or about a 4hr 25min marathon.  Worst case scenario - 11 minutes per mile, or about 4hr 50min marathon.

Happy Training

I’ve had several people ask me how I got started in the world of triathlon, so I thought I would take a few minutes to share a little history. In the fall of 2008 I had a runner friend who invited me to run in a local 10k. I had been running for probably a year, but up until that time it was solely for exercise. I still remember toeing the line at the start of the race, my stomach in knots, adrenaline pumping, the anticipation eating away at me. It was not a huge race, maybe a few hundred people, but it was COMPETITION! I had always been very competitive, but after highschool sports were over, I lacked a necessary outlet for that drive. When I crossed the finish line, I felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. I gave everything I had, and left nothing out on the course. I ended up running around 41 or 42 minutes, which was good enough to give me 1st place in my age group (there were only like 10 people in it though!).

After that I was hooked! My competitive spirit had been reawakened, and there was no going back. I began running not just for exercise, but for speed. I wanted to go faster! I pushed myself harder and harder, but my lust for speed ended up giving me tendinitis in my IT band. I ran in several other races, but my knee prevented me from going as hard or as far as I wanted.

I was even able to convince a few of my friends to join!

But my injury kept nagging me, and I was ready to do anything to heal it, without losing my fitness.  So I decided to pick up swimming.  About the same time I heard about an acquaintance of mine who finished an Ironman triathlon.  I was absolutely stunned!  I thought triathlons were only for elite athletes, I didn’t know they had them available for the “common man.”  I talked to this acquaintance and he informed me that he began his road to the Ironman by competing in smaller, local triathlons.  I did a little searching on the internet, found a small sprint triathlon, and signed up for it!  Up until that time that was the hardest thing I had ever done, and I wanted more.  I bought a wet suit and my own road bike, and signed up for an olympic triathlon set 3 months later.

The olympic was still not enough, and I signed up for a half-iron distance set 1 month later.  That race would push me to a level I had not previously known.  I had never swam, biked, or run that far, let alone done them all together.  I finished the race in just under 6 hours.  I crossed the finish line with tears in my eyes!

The next year I signed up for 5 triathlons, including Whirlpool Ironman70.3, which I finished in 5 and 1/2 hours!

This last summer I did 8 triathlons, and finished in the top 10 four times, including two 4th place finishes!!

It has always been my goal to complete an Ironman, but up until recently, I have not had the time to devote to training.  Unfortunately the pre-med lifestyle doesn’t really offer a lot of opportunities to train!  Now, however, I have the time, and I WILL make it happen.  I am excited to toe the line this summer at 2 more triathlons, Ironman Texas, and Ironman70.3 Muncie!  I will be an Ironman  3 years after starting triathlon.  

I hope this has been encouraging for your training!!

This was a week full of new milestones.  I broke 30 miles running in a single week, and at the same time broke 150 miles biking in a single week.  I was hoping to break 8000 meters swimming, but unfortunately it wasn’t to be.  

It’s amazing how different your body can feel from week to week.  Last week my long run was 16 miles and my long bike was 90 miles - both workouts were extremely difficult and I suffered nearly the entire time.  This week, my long run was 18 miles and my long bike was 96 miles - in both workouts I averaged higher speeds than the previous week, while experiencing significantly less pain.  This fact is very strange, however, I have noticed that “Week 2” of each “Block” is generally the strongest - probably because I am still warm/loose from “Week 1”, but not as fatigued as “Week 3.”

On a separate note, Ironman.com posted the Ironman Texas Preview.

Block 5 - Week 2 Totals:

Swim - 7200 meters

Bike - 150 miles

Run - 31 miles

There are a lot of theories out there on “how to run” and “how to train properly” for various events.  Overall, I think that all the theories can be narrowed down into two particular approaches - “Planning” and “Feeling It Out.”  

Planning - a theory that involves creating a plan based upon current fitness levels, and a realistic understanding and expectation of future improvements.

Feeling It Out - a theory that involves no plan, just run the speed and distance that your body tells you is acceptable.  Your increases come only when your body tells you that you are ready.

There are pro’s and con’s with each theory.  The Planning theory gives you goals.  It forces you to push beyond your limits to reach those goals, and it allows you to have a reasonable expectation for where your fitness level may be at in the future.  However, the downside with Planning is that you may end up injuring yourself by trying to reach unrealistic goals, or because your body just isn’t “up to par” on that particular day.

Feeling it out is great because it can make running more “fun.”  People who follow this theory generally enjoy their running experience more, and are less likely to experience injury or overtraining fatigue.  However, this theory generally takes longer to produce the desired result, and can create “mental weakness” - i.e. you do not know how to truly push yourself, because you never have experienced it previously.

In the end I think most people should follow the Planning approach to running, and training in general.  For instance, today I was scheduled for an 18 mile run.  After 3 miles, I was ready to quit! My body was aching, and my legs literally felt like bricks.  I wanted to stop the pain!  But I knew what the schedule said, and I wasn’t going to stop running until I finished my 18 miles, even if I had to walk the whole way.  In the end, my run went better than expected, and I reached a new level of fitness, all because I had a PLAN!!

I think only truly experienced runners (not myself) should follow the Feeling It Out approach.  True runners understand that sometimes the body lies to you, it tells you that your are incapable of doing something that your mind knows it can do.  An experienced runner can tell the difference between true fatigue and laziness.  

Obviously I am a proponent of having a plan!  It has helped me get this far in my training, and I know that I would be much further behind, and much less confident in my fitness level if I just “felt it out” every day.  

Moral of the story = Set goals and make a REALISTIC plan for reaching them!

Happy Training Everyone

Do you ever lay in bed at night thinking about your run the next day?  The anticipation and excitement keeps you up?  You wonder how your body will perform, you wonder when that second wind is going to kick in, you wonder at what point you are going to hit that “high” that makes each step seem effortless.  The thrill of it keeps your brain too active to allow sleep….I’m kinda experiencing that right now.

I have an 18 mile run scheduled for tomorrow, and it is very important to my training (both physically and mentally) that I finish well.  These long runs are a bit scary in a way.  Long bikes and long swims do not hold the same potential for injury that long runs do…they are not as devastating to my body.  Unfortunately, I am not a lightweight, and my joints don’t take kindly to constant pounding.  I’m working on my weight issue though, trying to cut out both fat and muscle, and become a leaner/faster me.

If there is one thing that I miss about running, its the speed.  My Ironman training has not incorporated any speedwork up to this point,  mostly because it is not my goal to run sub-7min miles…my goal is to finish.  Over the last several months my endurance has increased substantially, but I’ve also noticed an inverse relationship to speed - i.e. it has decreased.  I miss the days of running all-out 5k’s trying to break 18 minutes.  I miss the thrill of pushing my body so hard that I feel like it might break.  There is something to be said for speed, that no amount of endurance can replace.  

But today, speed is not my goal.  I have to stay focused and remember what I am training for.  There will be other years for me to focus on speed.  Today, it’s all about Ironman.

Here is a shot from my 2hr trainer ride this morning.  

Happy Training Everyone!!