They released this with little fanfare, but the Form goggles now have triathlon swim plans:
I’ve been pretty happy with the goggles, I’m gonna give these a shot once I get back in the water.
One step forward and 2 backwards…
On vacation right now. Thinking i was going to run every day and enjoy the hills. But no. Got sick on my way here and have had on and off fever for the last 3 days and generally not feeling great… so great start of vacation
Sorry to hear that. I hope it’s only mild and that you bounce back quickly.
I’ve been down with covid for a few days - a mild case though. Once I’m feeling better I’m going to ramp back in slowly, keep an eye on the HR.
I was able to get some labs done, so it’s not COVID or flu.
It’s something called mycoplasma pneumoniae. I need antibiotics. I was told without antibiotics it will take a long time to get better and chances of getting worse are very high…
Yes, get on those antibiotics for the full course!
Managed to snag a 70.3 worlds slot from Victoria this last weekend in the M30-34 age group – didn’t even think this was a possibility going into the race as I’ve only gotten in about 5.5 hours of training per week the last few months due to travel and getting COVID / moving to a new house in the last three weeks. Hadn’t done a brick, a ride longer than 2hr, or a run longer than 9mi this year before the race.
Upside is that I have a ton of room for improvement – I think I can reasonably manage to shave another 20-25min off my 70.3 time by late October just in my bike and run. Downside is that St. George somewhat conflicts with some other events I had planned:
- Tahoe Rim 100 mid-July
- 70.3 Santa Cruz early September (will likely miss now due to emergent travel)
- BC Bike Race mid-September
Now I’m thinking about doing a run focus this summer (maybe a few months of 50+ mi weeks) as this is where I have the most room for improvement and it will be easier to do consistently given my travel plans. Then do a 12wk buildup to St. George. This will shift my summer focus to just having fun (and avoiding injury) at the mtb events.
Would love to hear this group’s thoughts on how to best train and be fresh for worlds while still doing a week-long mtb stage race a month before.
Awesome! Well done.
Hey all! I haven’t posted much, but wanted to check in saying I just finished my last big weekend of training (Saturday 5 hour bike, Sunday 3 hour run) for my first full, Ironman Des Moines, coming up here in about two weeks.
Few questions as I wrap up training:
(35-39) male
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I have a sprint on the calendar for Saturday (8 days out). Should I race this, or too close to the IM for a all out ~60 min sprint?
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For calories I am taking in a mix of cluster dextrin and UCAN gels on the bike and then GU Roctane on the run. I’ve tested it all in training, but not sure if there is an overall calorie number I should target? Any good calculators out there?
Have you been doing any training at the intensity you would plan to race the sprint Tri?
Just my opinion here, but if it’s your first full I’d be sticking with what you’ve planned/practised on both counts. Granted a sprint doesn’t take a ton of recovery but it might have a bigger impact on your taper, and if you don’t have a lot of familiarity with what works for you in that regard I wouldn’t go throwing additional races in there just yet. You’d probably be okay to use the sprint as a training day though, if that interests you.
Regarding calories, I’d stick to what you’ve done in training- messing up your nutrition can ruin a full IM very easily, so if you’ve already had success with your strategy that’s probably the safest bet at this point.
Good luck- let us know how it goes!
I’d take this advice personally - take it as an opportunity to check transitions etc. Although they will be vastly different to the full, it’s always good to check you can get your wetsuit off!
Good luck!
If you haven’t been doing supra-threshold days, that sprint tri is going to hit you harder than usual. I’d go do it but take it easy
Do it. Racing is fun; that’s why we train. You have a mega base from all of the IM training and the recovery from 60-90 minute effort should be pretty short. Worst case, it makes you rest on your final taper week which is hard thing to do mentally. Just don’t crash your bike.
Do what you’ve done on your long rides. It’s too late to test changes in training now and doing it in a race can lead to excessive walking from a bonk or excessive sitting the porta-potties.
OK. Think I’ve finally reached a 90% decision on races for this Fall…September and October races are out. Want to get the experts’ opinions on the sanity of my plan.
Target two races:
- IM Florida (140.6), 11-5-22
- Challenge Daytona (70.3), 12-4-22
Thoughts:
- The IM Florida would be my third full distance; no performance goals other than to finish, have fun, and get another one under the belt.
- I’ve done the Daytona race a couple of times (along with 5 other 70.3s); this would be a little more performance oriented trying to beat PR of 5:15.
Training Plan:
- Follow a mid-volume Half Distance plan targeted to the 70.3 as much as possible with lots of business travel between now and then. Would likely extend the weekend endurance rides for a bit more volume.
- Other option: follow a low or mid-volume full distance plan targeted to the 140.6, then use the four weeks in between to rest and do a little speed work.
Sounds good? Disaster in-waiting? Four weeks enough recovery time? Thoughts on which plan to follow?
Thank you all, as always!
The main difference between HIM mid volume and HIM high volume is the weekend ride. The HV plan includes long endurance rides while the MV plan has tempo and threshold rides up to ~2 HRs on weekend. Midweek stuff is more or less the same with some minor duration differences which you could use alternates to get around.
Here’s the HIM specialty plan; MV on the left, HV is on the right.
That said, the HV 70.3 plan will set you up pretty well for a full IM due to all of the long rides.
Were it me focusing on those two races, I would train with a main focus on IM FL and let base fitness carry me into the challenge Daytona. Do that with either a IM plan or the HV HIM plan. A MV HIM plan will leave you way short on the long rides. I think the HIM MV plans max out at 2 hours.
4 weeks is plenty of time. A bigger base will make your recovery from IM FL easier (especially if you don’t go into trying to finish on empty). 1 week do doing just about nothing (maybe some easy swims and bikes). 2 weeks to try and maintain your peak. 1 week taper (depending on how you feel). Don’t expect to have time to gain any fitness. What you take into IMFL will be what you’ve got for Daytona.
Your run pace in a 70.3 run doesn’t require speed work; it’s a fully aerobic pace and your aerobic ability is dominated by LSD training. A little anecdote from last year. I ran a 5k PR (17:24) off of IM training and some strides. If running fast is a sundae, speed work is the cherry on top and the sundae is still really delicious without it. If you’re going to anything fast, it needs to be really short like 20" strides spaced into an aerobic run.
My concern for @ericgabriel11 wouldn’t be so much fatigue/recovery, but injury. As mentioned above. Excellent transition training, and it is good to be in the groove, but if you’ve only been running 5min/km for the last six months, then go and try and run 3.45min/k and pull your calf… That’d be a major bummer a week out.
All that being said, some people just never get injured. I never had that luxury, though I had training buddies that did. That’s the bias I’m carrying I guess.
Swim and run you can go full ham 
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I have a speedwork day that I get close to the intensity, but may be a bit much only a week out. Thanks!
Yea, being my first full I am not sure how my body is going to react to the full day, so I am leaning towards the idea of skipping it, or using it as a training race. Its hard for me to pull back though, and we have a big group going out there. Thanks!
Yea, the plan was to use the same nutrition, I just wanted to somehow double check it was going to be enough. Its been successful for some longer bikes, with a brick, but how is it going to hold up for the full distance. I was just looking for a total calorie double check
Thanks! Hoping for a cool race in June
This was the debate in my head!
Sprints are HARD. Saturday race, I’d say I wont be fully feeling good again until Tuesdayish
See you next week! It’s going to be my first full too.