I have decided to take the hard way in instead of the easy way out....and add a 90 minute bonus bike session to each of the now remaining 14 weeks to go. I will keep the rest of the schedule and see if I can get check-marks for everything. I think I'll be doing pretty good if I can get that done.
The Matt Fitzgerald Ironman training plan calls for 4 swim sessions per week. I will cut this to 3 sessions per week, but divide last one of the swim-workouts in two ...and add half each to two of the other swims. Yesterday I celebrated this new direction by merging two of the swims together completely, for a 5350yd swim. It was tough. One of the final sets was a 6x150. I did one 150 and said "You've done enough today...just go home" .... then the next one I felt strong "you will be able to plow through this" then on the next one it seemed each length was alternating thoughts - go home....stay....go home....stay. After much debating I got through the 150's and was just left with 11x50 to cap it off.
This week the only thing tougher than that long swim yesterday... was following it up with a 3100yd effort today.
Rational or Irrational Fear? .....
Most of my biking since Dec 1st has been on Spin Bike's at any of our local LTF Clubs. Quite a few sessions on my own....and also several spin classes. In the past two weeks I have started to log more time on the trainer at home.
Last year I became worried that my sessions on the trainer was creating too much torque on the bike frame and was going to result in damage to the frame or the seat post or something. This was based on nothing other than my own intuition and feeling.
Is this irrational?
I really don't care too much now as I don't have much choice...all of my best indoor bike sessions will now be on the trainer and not the spin bike....plus I can take it into the shop three weeks before the event.
But last weekend I was scouring the Internet for IMSG race reports from the last two years, in an attempt to try and get as much info as I could (something I should have done before signing up) Many people seemed to have a challenge on one part of the course or another, really freaking me out!I came across several that struck serious fear into me... I found this report which is a 3 part series from last year race. I thought it was well written and had some great detail about the race and good pics. On part 3 of the run he meets someone on the course who had a seat post break on the bike !!!!
Fear validated...
I found this report - where the guy seemed to be having a great race, and he seems a serious athlete who knows what he is doing....and he fell apart late in the run on mile 21 and DNF. This shows me take nothing for granted - stick with a game plan the whole way through, and its not over til its over. I had never heard of the Ibuprofen /Advil issue....but will now never touch the stuff before or during a race (never have before anyway)
Two days in a row: weigh in less than last year Ironman weight....If I can keep rolling this mojo things will be good...
11 comments:
Dude, awesome on the weight !!! dang man!
YOU ARE FINE! Don't think about the race anymore. You have a game plan and you WILL execute the plan, NOT yourself.
I have the same fears though w/ wildflower long course, the run completely petrifies me hahaha.
I can't wait for your take on IMSG, you are my RECON team. Email Bry for some pointers if you haven't already, having done it twice, we know he knows the course pretty well.
Buy an extra seat post and put it in your aid bag on the bike course if you are petrified... you do enough spin classes that you can manage to bike to an aid station standing up on the pedals.
Awesome news on IMSG! I see you announced this a little earlier, but I'm just seeing it now. I knew the day after IMLP that it wouldn't be long before you signed up for #2! IMSG is on our list. I'll be interested to read what you think of it. Sounds like the training is going well, and more bike is prob the right idea. That course looks like quite the challenge. Stick with your plan -as you say - and we'll be watching you cross on the live feed :)
Having not done on Ironman, I don't know exactly what you'll be facing. But, you are a stud, and I know that with the training you'll be doing over the next 14 weeks, you're going to be fine! I like to obsess about every little detail and the things that will go wrong. From what I've heard, something WILL go wrong, and you'll just keep going. Great work on the swimming!
You know what you should learn from reading those race reports? Stop reading race reports! haha
Seriously though, you are going to be golden. You're bike isn't going to break. You aren't going to bonk on the run. Why? Because you are going to be prepared.
Good move on changing up the training plan.
You gotta dream up some hills up thar in Tiny-Sota.
That is all.
Or big ring EVERYTHING!
....you are still gonna do awesome!
dude... you are killing it.
keep up the good work. You attitude and mentat toughness is worthy of emulation
Did you know I am going Gluten-free? I'm hoping it helps the weight issues I can't seem to kick. Maybe if I didn't eat an entire pan of gluten-free brownies? ;)
My friend did IMSG a couple years ago, she is an amazing athlete. Here is reflections post she did last year, which sort of summerized her race:
http://triathlon-mom.blogspot.com/2011/05/1-year-since-ironman-reflections-and.html
You will tweak everything you need to to come out on top, it's what you do best and I know you are going to be just fine!!
Hah - I had the same concerns with my bike on the trainer!! Enough so that I'd only use my old tri bike for fears I'd eff something up on the good one. Who knows... but like you said, it's the best option you've got!
I see Jon "tiny-sota"ed you too. Pssh... clearly he's never been here. :P
You are going to do awesome at IMSG. Holy crap, you are killing it. I am sure you read Bryan's RR on IMSG? You are dedicated and train hard, things will be fine!!
You are going to do awesome at IMSG. Holy crap, you are killing it. I am sure you read Bryan's RR on IMSG? You are dedicated and train hard, things will be fine!!
Yeah, like Kevin said, I'd stop reading the race reports. But then again, personally, I would be reading every one I could find so don't listen to me.
You are killing it! :)
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