Fortunately its not going to be a huge shock. I will NOT be riding 100 miles every weekend out of the gate just because it is "Ironman specific." Like anything, there needs to be a build up. In fact, this weekend might look almost exactly like last weekend's efforts, except for a 2 mile swim race added on.
But mostly, I see the 12 week out mark as getting mentally ready for the race. What is the course like? What courses in my area are suitable for replicating the terrain up there? What will the on course nutrition be? Can I replicate it myself, and if so, will it work for me? What will be the best days to recover? How will I schedule these longer workouts in with travel and work? When will I balance this all with family? W
The past two weeks have been bringing everything together. My run is finally shaping back up. My bike fitness is hitting all new highs. The last three weeks especially my bike fitness decided to truly show up for the season. And! The swim is finally, FINALLY shaping up! OMG I have been SO frustrated with my swim form this season. It just doesn't want to show up! The other night I did a 4 x 500 set and actually had some decent results. Amazing how 1-3 seconds faster per 100 can yield some faster times, especially over a longer distance. And what is even stranger, is that I go EVEN faster if I breath exclusively to my left. I am a always breaths to the right swimmer, but yet doing what is uncomfortable makes me go WAY faster. 3 secs/100 in a 5x100 set. WTF?!?
What I am trying to get at, is that my "base" fitness is where it is supposed to be leading into "pure" Ironman training. I feel like everything is well rounded and there is still only one way to go, and that is up!
I am also happy that I haven't peaked yet. Last season I sort of peaked in early April, and another in early June, and then I basically went flat till Placid, other than building up incredible endurance. I am mostly speaking of raw speed here. This season I am not worrying about hitting top speed in May/June and trying to hold it till August. It is just NOT possible! I want to have a mini peak at the end of June, and a LARGER peak at the end of August for the 140.6, then my body can give me the middle finger all it wants in September.
But first!, this weekend I am doing a 2 mile swim race in a lake in Reston, VA. After being labeled as being in the "safety blanket" division, aka, the wetsuit division, I wonder if I should shed this "safety blanket" and just swim for the sake of pure swimming?
The following weekend is Rev3 Quassy Olympic. That might be a nice contrast to go 2 miles sans wetsuit, then 0.9 miles with a wetsuit and see if I go super fast at the Olympic.
Hope you have a great long Memorial Day Weekend and get lots of miles and yards or kilometers and meters in!!!
NO WETSUIT. MAN UP.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think somebody who taught you flip turns deserves at least SOME of the credit for that time improvement. That time will translate into better open water swim times, since now you aren't getting rest every 25 yards/meters with an open turn. It's free time savings.
I vote no wet suit :)
ReplyDeleteI totally get the doing what is uncomfortable makes you faster. I golf & bat left handed (despite doing most other things right handed). However, if I switch to golfing right handed, I have to focus more on the movement and it often yields better results.
ReplyDeleteDitch the safety blanket and swim naked!!! (but not really naked please)
Oh, and not to burst your bubble, but the flip turns and silky smooth legs have to attribute to at least some of the speed :-P
ReplyDeleteDude, your base fitness is right around where it was last April... when you PEAKED for the season. This year you will be unstoppable.
ReplyDeleteHave you tried the HoneyStinger stuff yet? I am digging the waffles - they are glorious - eating them like snacks!
ReplyDeleteThe gels sorta suck, IMO. They make me nauseous, but I am going to keep taking them and train my body to like them. Or just eat more waffles.
We must be on the same schedule because my swim form seemed to FINALLY come back yesterday. Out of nowhere I was dropping 2:55/200's, last week it was like 3:15/200's. Needless to say, I was stoked.
It is on right now - 12 weeks out. Time to enter the zombie-training mode.
Just do it - no wetsuit! PS - water in Quassy is 67 already... was up there on Sunday for Organized preview ride.
ReplyDeletedoes your body only have one middle finger? mine has two.
ReplyDeleteI am going against the grain, go wetsuit, you think you feel fast without it, you will feel michael phelpish with it
ReplyDeleteI second Jeff with Hiney Stinger Waffles, so good!!
HAAAA Honey Stinger
DeleteI'm wearing a wetsuit. I am assuming we will all be wearing one in Mont Tremblant, so I figure it is good practice. And will get me out of the water and done faster...which is always nice. 12 weeks! EEK.
ReplyDeleteYay swimming! Maybe you should have signed up for all the races like someone we know and then you could have had wetsuit and non wetsuit practice.
ReplyDeleteAsk Jeff to tell you what he said at IMTX about wetsuits.....guarantee you won't be wearing one.
ReplyDeleteLeave that sh*t at home for the man-bee pan-bee's.......
And HoneyStinger Waffles are the crack of endurance nutrition. I open my closet door and I have 3 boxes and my hand goes right to it and I eat one for no fucking reason other than it is the most tasty thing in the world.
I like Kevin's comment...swim NAKED! But I think you should just go all the way! I bet you wouldn't have anyone around to bother you!
ReplyDelete