In an effort to start getting into the routine I outlined last post, todays run was to extend distance. Last week's run was 2.5 miles, so this week I wanted to get to around the 3 mile mark. I figure that I'll increase distance by about 1/2 mile per week up until the 5 mile mark, at which point I can adjust or re-evaluate buildup, based on how things feel.
Garmin Results
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Training plan for this year
At this point, I've been doing the Yoga for about 13 weeks, and with the end of February rapidly approaching, it is time to start formulating a plan for training over the next few months.
The goal, of course, is to build up to be able to do the half iron in June. As of this day, I have four months.
First off - the swim. I've been pretty diligently going to the pool 2-3 times per week, swimming a total of a mile each session. While it would be nice to see some more rapid improvements with regards to time, I have to keep it in perspective - for a presumed 7-8 hour event, the swim is approximately 30 minutes of that - so while it is worth putting time and effort into increasing swim endurance and time, the level of effort to eek out another minute of performance could probably be better spent elsewhere (yes, I'm looking at you, mr bike). So the primary goal with the swimming training is simply to be able to finish the mile distance with as little fatigue as possible. Once the weather warms up a bit, I'll be able to do a few sessions in the lake that can bring the distance up from 1 mile to the required 1.2 miles. So, for all intents and purposes, swim training could be brought down to once/week if need be - but if I can get it to 2x per week, that'd be ideal.
Next - the bike. With the bike being the longest, by time, event in the triathlon, I should probably spend a major portion of my time and effort on it - if not a decided majority. I need to work up to a 60 mile ride, and I should probably do three or four rides of that distance before the event. I'm hoping to make riding to work be the bulk of the miles I put on the bike. Even though it is only 17 miles and takes about an hour each way - being able to do that commute 2-3 times per week would be really nice. During those sessions, I could vary the intensity to build up strength, or go hard and fast for the first half of the commute to tire myself out, and then I'm forced to extend my stamina during the latter half. Buildup of mileage in a single, long ride would be done on weekends when I have more time to do so. So in total, I'm hoping to do a bike ride 3-4 times per week.
Finally - the run. This time around, I have no desire to put any real emphasis on speed work. I'll have enough to worry about in building up stamina for a half marathon after 56 miles on the bike, without having to worry about whether I'm keeping a certain pace. I've learned over the past couple years that speedwork is what kills my IT band. In a way, going with no shoes will help this - it gives me something else to concentrate on during my training. My hope is that building up the required stamina for going with no shoes will also help govern the amount of intensity I put on my hips and quads, which have a history of tightening up when pushed too much. I also want to avoid running on successive days, and I'll need to have at least one session per week of mileage build up. So I'm thinking running will be about 3 times per week.
So - swimming 2x per week, biking 3-4x per week, and running 3x per week. And we can't forget about Yoga. I think that needs to get in there 2x per week - if for no other reason than to help maintain pliability of connective tissue in the hips, and maintain core and hip flexor strength. So we have 11 sessions to squeeze into 7 days. And rest! Gotta have some rest in there. Trying to fit 10 lbs of shit into a 5 lb bag.
But I think it can be made to work, with some alternating weeks between a long bike ride and a long run. So it might be something like this:
Sunday - Yoga, swimming
Monday - Bike commute
Tuesday - swimming, short run (3-5 miles)
Wednesday - Yoga
Thursday - short run (3-5 miles)
Friday - Bike commute
Saturday - Long bike ride OR long run (alternating weeks)
Unfortunately, with my work schedule and travel, no schedule will hold the entire season without some interruptions. Plus, there will certainly be days where I just need some time off. So the above schedule is just a template, but it'll kinda change week to week. However, there are some definite's on a weekly basis that need to be included:
- Yoga 2x per week. Given that yoga helps every other discipline in some way, shape, or form (either in preventing injury, or increasing flexibility), this is essentially non-negotiable. Pecking order for workouts to be given up in favor of Yoga would be swimming, then a short run, then a bike ride.
Also, the Sunday Yoga was put in for a specific purpose - to follow the long bike/run of the previous day and hopefully counter and tightness that might result from that activity.
- Long run/bike ride every week. Absolutely essential to build up the endurance necessary. It the weather is not favorable for a long bike ride (ie, rainy) - I may have to shift weekend yoga to Saturday, or maybe do long runs two weeks in a row.
The fewer absolute requirements - the better. Given those requirements - a feasible schedule might be to do swimming and yoga during the week, and only ride/run during the weekend, with those being the longer distances. I think that would still work for my purposes, and there may be weeks that essentially turn into that.
The goal, of course, is to build up to be able to do the half iron in June. As of this day, I have four months.
First off - the swim. I've been pretty diligently going to the pool 2-3 times per week, swimming a total of a mile each session. While it would be nice to see some more rapid improvements with regards to time, I have to keep it in perspective - for a presumed 7-8 hour event, the swim is approximately 30 minutes of that - so while it is worth putting time and effort into increasing swim endurance and time, the level of effort to eek out another minute of performance could probably be better spent elsewhere (yes, I'm looking at you, mr bike). So the primary goal with the swimming training is simply to be able to finish the mile distance with as little fatigue as possible. Once the weather warms up a bit, I'll be able to do a few sessions in the lake that can bring the distance up from 1 mile to the required 1.2 miles. So, for all intents and purposes, swim training could be brought down to once/week if need be - but if I can get it to 2x per week, that'd be ideal.
Next - the bike. With the bike being the longest, by time, event in the triathlon, I should probably spend a major portion of my time and effort on it - if not a decided majority. I need to work up to a 60 mile ride, and I should probably do three or four rides of that distance before the event. I'm hoping to make riding to work be the bulk of the miles I put on the bike. Even though it is only 17 miles and takes about an hour each way - being able to do that commute 2-3 times per week would be really nice. During those sessions, I could vary the intensity to build up strength, or go hard and fast for the first half of the commute to tire myself out, and then I'm forced to extend my stamina during the latter half. Buildup of mileage in a single, long ride would be done on weekends when I have more time to do so. So in total, I'm hoping to do a bike ride 3-4 times per week.
Finally - the run. This time around, I have no desire to put any real emphasis on speed work. I'll have enough to worry about in building up stamina for a half marathon after 56 miles on the bike, without having to worry about whether I'm keeping a certain pace. I've learned over the past couple years that speedwork is what kills my IT band. In a way, going with no shoes will help this - it gives me something else to concentrate on during my training. My hope is that building up the required stamina for going with no shoes will also help govern the amount of intensity I put on my hips and quads, which have a history of tightening up when pushed too much. I also want to avoid running on successive days, and I'll need to have at least one session per week of mileage build up. So I'm thinking running will be about 3 times per week.
So - swimming 2x per week, biking 3-4x per week, and running 3x per week. And we can't forget about Yoga. I think that needs to get in there 2x per week - if for no other reason than to help maintain pliability of connective tissue in the hips, and maintain core and hip flexor strength. So we have 11 sessions to squeeze into 7 days. And rest! Gotta have some rest in there. Trying to fit 10 lbs of shit into a 5 lb bag.
But I think it can be made to work, with some alternating weeks between a long bike ride and a long run. So it might be something like this:
Sunday - Yoga, swimming
Monday - Bike commute
Tuesday - swimming, short run (3-5 miles)
Wednesday - Yoga
Thursday - short run (3-5 miles)
Friday - Bike commute
Saturday - Long bike ride OR long run (alternating weeks)
Unfortunately, with my work schedule and travel, no schedule will hold the entire season without some interruptions. Plus, there will certainly be days where I just need some time off. So the above schedule is just a template, but it'll kinda change week to week. However, there are some definite's on a weekly basis that need to be included:
- Yoga 2x per week. Given that yoga helps every other discipline in some way, shape, or form (either in preventing injury, or increasing flexibility), this is essentially non-negotiable. Pecking order for workouts to be given up in favor of Yoga would be swimming, then a short run, then a bike ride.
Also, the Sunday Yoga was put in for a specific purpose - to follow the long bike/run of the previous day and hopefully counter and tightness that might result from that activity.
- Long run/bike ride every week. Absolutely essential to build up the endurance necessary. It the weather is not favorable for a long bike ride (ie, rainy) - I may have to shift weekend yoga to Saturday, or maybe do long runs two weeks in a row.
The fewer absolute requirements - the better. Given those requirements - a feasible schedule might be to do swimming and yoga during the week, and only ride/run during the weekend, with those being the longer distances. I think that would still work for my purposes, and there may be weeks that essentially turn into that.
2.5 miles - 2/20
The past few days I've been toying around with planning of workout schedules (details to be posted in another blog update) - but part of that planning is to start extending the running distance. Based on what I learned last year, the recovery time necessary between runs when building up the calves from 1 to 2 miles is longer than is necessary once a couple miles is sustainable. So having done 2 miles a few days ago and noticing a pretty fast recovery time, I decided to go with about 2.5 miles this time around, although that last 0.5 miles was somewhat of a cooldown.
Garmin Results
Garmin Results
2 miles - 2/15
After a few days off from running on successive days, everything felt good enough to extend the distance a bit. I'm still trying to figure out some of the nuances with running downhill with no shoes - trying to keep knee impact to a minimum without slowing down the pace too much. So the fact that everything felt good after a few days off following running two days in a row gave me the confidence that I could start building distance.
Garmin Results
Garmin Results
1.65 miles - 2/12
For this days run, I wanted to keep about the same distance as the previous day. I didn't want to extend the distance, as running on successive days comes few and far between - so I wanted to keep the pushing of limits to a minimum, especially when breaking into running without shoes.
Garmin Results
Garmin Results
Saturday, February 12, 2011
1.66 miles - 2/11
Some time had slipped since my last run, so even though it was cold out, I bundled up and got outside. This time I decided on a loop that would have me finish the run closer to the house, knowing it'd be around the 1.5 - 1.8 mile mark.
Garmin Results
Garmin Results
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Swimming - February 2011
2/5
30 - 26:53 (avg 53.7)
Noticed my form degrade around 22-24 laps, where corresponding times went from 52-53 seconds per 50 yds to 54-55. Form suddenly started feeling more jerky. Spent 6 laps toying with various mechanics (hand entry, head position, body rotation) to try and determine was what faltering, but couldn't isolate. Stopped at 30 laps - did not want to continue with bad form unless I knew how to fix it.
Took 2 min break, then did another 200 yds, thinking rest would help. Last 100 yds were again in the 54-55 second range, and felt jerky again. Another 2 min break, then a fast 100 yds (1:23), 2 min break, fast 100 yds (1:24.9).
2/6
Forgot stopwatch - not sure how many laps. However, I did find a way to tie a few form mechanics together. If I kept my head down (instead of letting my eyes try to look forward, which results in my head lifting up a bit), and I set my hand entry at such an angle where I could see my arm enter the water in my peripheral vision at the top - the end result is a catch position where there is very little vertical arm/hand motion during the pull. In other words, most of movement is used for propulsion, instead of a significant amount being diverted to lifting body. This also streamlines the body. Any increased drag of the arm itself being in the flow path is more than compensated by lower body drag.
2/8
Following previous sessions form improvements:
36 - 30:37 (avg 51)
39 - 33:10 (avg 51)
Average of about 2 seconds faster per lap. About 2/3 of the way through, form started to come apart a bit still and lap times once in a while got up to 53/54 - but was able to fix form and get times back down to 50/51.
2/12
24 - 20:02
then 12 x 50 intervals, 65 seconds lap + rest each. Laps were about 42 sec.
2/13
24 - 20:14
then 12 x 50 intervals, 60 seconds lap + rest each. Laps were about 42-45 sec.
2/15
24 - 20:40
then 12 x 50 intervals, 60 seconds lap + rest each. Laps were about 42-45 sec.
2/18
24 - 20:02
then 12 x 50 intervals, 60 seconds lap + rest each. Laps were about 42 sec.
2/20
36 - 30:48 (avg 51.3)
Very smooth. Made major effort to relax and flow with water, rather than let body tense up as workout progressed. Tried to have very regulated and steady breathing. Felt fairly effortless.
2/26
24 - 20:34
than 12 x 50 intervals, 60 seconds lap + rest each. Laps 1,2 about 37 seconds each, laps 3-12 averaged about 42.
2/27
36 - 30:49
30 - 26:53 (avg 53.7)
Noticed my form degrade around 22-24 laps, where corresponding times went from 52-53 seconds per 50 yds to 54-55. Form suddenly started feeling more jerky. Spent 6 laps toying with various mechanics (hand entry, head position, body rotation) to try and determine was what faltering, but couldn't isolate. Stopped at 30 laps - did not want to continue with bad form unless I knew how to fix it.
Took 2 min break, then did another 200 yds, thinking rest would help. Last 100 yds were again in the 54-55 second range, and felt jerky again. Another 2 min break, then a fast 100 yds (1:23), 2 min break, fast 100 yds (1:24.9).
2/6
Forgot stopwatch - not sure how many laps. However, I did find a way to tie a few form mechanics together. If I kept my head down (instead of letting my eyes try to look forward, which results in my head lifting up a bit), and I set my hand entry at such an angle where I could see my arm enter the water in my peripheral vision at the top - the end result is a catch position where there is very little vertical arm/hand motion during the pull. In other words, most of movement is used for propulsion, instead of a significant amount being diverted to lifting body. This also streamlines the body. Any increased drag of the arm itself being in the flow path is more than compensated by lower body drag.
2/8
Following previous sessions form improvements:
36 - 30:37 (avg 51)
39 - 33:10 (avg 51)
Average of about 2 seconds faster per lap. About 2/3 of the way through, form started to come apart a bit still and lap times once in a while got up to 53/54 - but was able to fix form and get times back down to 50/51.
2/12
24 - 20:02
then 12 x 50 intervals, 65 seconds lap + rest each. Laps were about 42 sec.
2/13
24 - 20:14
then 12 x 50 intervals, 60 seconds lap + rest each. Laps were about 42-45 sec.
2/15
24 - 20:40
then 12 x 50 intervals, 60 seconds lap + rest each. Laps were about 42-45 sec.
2/18
24 - 20:02
then 12 x 50 intervals, 60 seconds lap + rest each. Laps were about 42 sec.
2/20
36 - 30:48 (avg 51.3)
Very smooth. Made major effort to relax and flow with water, rather than let body tense up as workout progressed. Tried to have very regulated and steady breathing. Felt fairly effortless.
2/26
24 - 20:34
than 12 x 50 intervals, 60 seconds lap + rest each. Laps 1,2 about 37 seconds each, laps 3-12 averaged about 42.
2/27
36 - 30:49
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