Smart decision. Honesty it was probably harder for you to drop out where you did than to walk the last 8mi and complete the race. I respect what you did for the reasons you did far more than I would had you took 3 hours to leisurely walk the last third of the run to get a finishers medal. More important fish to fry and the full distance will always be there for you to crush.
Thanks @JoeX - in contrast to my last message, motivation is at an all time high . I managed to get my second vaccination after 3 weeks (in the UK, so the gap is meant to be 8/12 weeks) so as things stand I’ll be allowed into Denmark to compete (touch wood & fingers crossed). There’s still a chance that the race gets cancelled or different travel restrictions come in to torpedo all of this but hopeful that I might get it away.
Been stepping up the length of the long ride and long run while ticking over on Full Distance HV. Most of the rides are done as outdoor workouts to avoid the long and brutal trainer sessions. Also dialling in the nutrition and think I’m relatively happy with it, getting to 85ish grams of carbs per hour without feeling sick or too tired. Praying that nothing changes/goes wrong and I’ll get to race at IM Copenhagen this year!
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Hi JoeX and everyone. Thanks for the roll call.
I just got into the Adaptive Training Beta, so I’m kind of excited to see how that works for between now and my September 19 race (70.3 Washington). I’m still doing the Mid Volume Half plan. I’ve been feeling pretty fatigued and my FTP has fallen considerably so I’m wondering if I should switch to the LV volume plan, but I’m hesitant to do that when I’m about 10 weeks out from my race.
I’ve been missing a workout or two per week from being super busy at work and at home and will be glad when my race is over and I can cut back a little and maybe focus on doing some strength and mobility work in the place of some of the swimming, biking and running.
Best of luck to everyone with their training and races!
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Haven’t tried the updated tri plans, but from memory the MV 70.3 plan is a pretty tough one! I almost found the HV plan more manageable in some ways.
You could also switch to the LV plan and add some extra z2 work as you feel is necessary, if time allows- that way it’s not as big a drop, but you don’t incur as much fatigue from individual sessions. Having some longer rides in there is also a good way to practice nutrition and such.
FWIW i’d rather do slightly less than too much though, especially this close to a race 
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Hey all, thanks @JoeX, training going well. I’ve just entered Half Tri Build and the swimming is coming along.
I’m doing technique lessons once a week in the pool and I’ve so far taken 20 seconds per 100m off my times.
Running is shorter, but 3 days per week minimum.
I’m 23 weeks from my next event so training hard but not sweating the details too much. AT is awesome so far - can’t wait to see how they handle run and swims in AT
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I’d agree with Tori.
Plus, the vo2 sessions just aren’t that important in the grand scheme of things. AT will probably trade these down for you, but I wouldn’t sweat it - your “key” sessions are the endurance rides now anyway.
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Sounds like great progress 
I had two swim/run adaptations at the start of using AT and none since, so they may have been aberrations. One was shortening the time, the other was deleting them from a ramp test day.
Thanks @JoeX June was a mixed month for me… Achieved a bucket list goal of Celtman Blue on the 12th of June with a good taper in to it. Came to the conclusion that my swim is average and my bike is (relative to the field) strong but the run is my weakness. Something ive noticed on other races is even when i pace the bike perfectly i seem to be moving backwards (positionally) in the run. Something to work on in the months to come.
Damaged meniscus in left knee meant ive only done 2 runs since then (3k & 4k this week). Outlaw Half Holkham this Sunday. bike has been as per TR LV plan, Swim has been decent. Hope the knee holds out
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This month has not been the greatest but has not been the worst of it. I lost like 4 days of training 2.5 weeks before my race coming up in July which i was super annoyed about. I was just ill for some reason. Not the big C thankfully.
I did train quite abit but note sure it was the best training. I dont think i got fitter but not sure i lost fitness overall. My bike also broke after a crash so i am actually now getting a bike fit for my tt and getting it fixed at the same time which is really good.
16 days till race day lets smash it.
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Man, celtman is like my ultimate race. Think I’d have to sell a kidney for a UK trip, but I’ll get there one day!
Look up the podcast with Andy Blow from precision hydration. If you try to hydrate too much before a race, you’re flushing out all your electrolytes. I started to sodium load the night before and morning of the race, after hearing the podcast. Don’t over concentrate your fluids (like Lionel). Your body can’t digest it in the heat. Drink lots but make sure your nutrition has sodium and electrolytes, and supplement with something like BASE as needed. I add a scoop of base to my bottles on particularly hot races.
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Just a question out there, How would you guy plan a perfect kona attempt to qualify. I live in the Uk so will probably be a race near the UK/preferably in the UK.
Was thinking about IM Wales which will give me so much time to try and improve before the big island/ or Bolton and maybe 70.3 staffordshire before to race tune ups and build from there.
Could also go somehwere like lanzerote. What would your guys perfect race year look like going for kona
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Well assuming I had the fitness, I’d be looking for races that suit me best, or better than my competitors at least. Sea, wind, heat, hills, all make it tougher. Probably perfect my running in the previous year with a marathon PB.
From what I’ve seen people looking to KQ know their weaknesses and know what they need to sort out before they make the attempt but it;s slightly different for everyone it seems.
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Similar to @JoeX 's advice. Pick the course to suit yourself. Personally I aim for sea swim, rolling bike and flat runs. I’m a swimmer who’s strong on the bike but pretty heavy (90kg - 86-87kg when racing).
If I were a runner I look for a tougher run. Or a strong, light cyclist - go mountainous.
I don’t cope well in the heat, so I’d avoid summer races and aim for autumn. You’ve the benefit of training through the best months - get used to the heat without having to race in it.
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Thanks, Tori! It’s interesting that you found the HV plan more manageable. I just updated my calendar to the LV plan and it really isn’t that big a drop in volume but looks more manageable. I’ll actually have some rest days here and there now…
Thanks! I’ll worry more about the endurance rides for now and less about the vo2 stuff even though I like to I would like to see higher vo2 numbers on my Garmin just for personal satisfaction 
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June has been good to me racing and training wise:
| Plan/Week | Total Hrs | Run Distance | Swim Distance | Bike | Run | Swim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Build HV 5 | 16h 15m | 49.4 | 7910 | 7h 28m | 4h 51m | 3h 26m |
| White Oak Sprint | 9h 44m | 23.6 | 6140 | 5h 17m | 2h 14m | 2h 13m |
| Olympic Speciality HV 1 | 11h 26m | 34 | 4980 | 5h 36m | 3h 23m | 2h 27m |
| Dartford Bridge Oly | 16h 3m | 45.2 | 8110 | 8h 12m | 4h 14m | 3h 37m |
See the short course triathlon thread for the race reports. I hit my August target of a sub 2h30 Olympic distance early so I’m considering switching up to long course training a little early. Part of me says “stick to the plan, it’s working”, part of me wants to change up everything for a greater chance of a long course PB.
I don’t know how much difference 4 weeks of Olympic HV Speciality vs Full Distance Build would make. I am surprised how good my swim and run is on low distances covered, but I did 3h45 on and off the bike today only 2h45 moving time at NP 203W and I can’t imagine running very far or fast after that so maybe I should switch up to FD early…hmm, decisions, decisions.
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I was bored a while back, and put this together using data from Coach Cox: Ironman Kona Qualifiers - Google Sheets
This isn’t great, though, because I didn’t use the top amateur time as the denominator for pro races. And you usually don’t know who’s gonna show up until registration has closed. Though one strategy might be to wait until as late as possible and check out the start list to make sure previous years’ winners aren’t signed up?
As previously stated, I think the most important consideration is to pick a race that plays to your strengths (heat and hills are probably the two biggest factors affecting relative performance).
Having said all that, I think a KQ should always be a secondary goal, and not your primary motivation. Enjoy the process and the pain!
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Thanks! Will check that out.
Wait… Run/swim adaptations?
What is this ?