Post injury - wanting sub 40min

[dale_8888]

Ahh TheEd,

I so wish you weren't right!

Did the 4km TT today as you suggested. I put it off for a couple of days as I felt I would recover a bit, but my body just didn't seem to be recovering.

km time av HR max HR
1 4:12.3 168 181
2 4:17.9 183 185
3 4:23.1 183 185
4 4:23.0 183 186

total: 17:16.

I am doing the 70.3 on 11 Dec so I think from now until then all I want to do is try and recover, if you could help with that, it'd be great. I am aiming to run a 1:40 off the bike but at this rate I'd be lucky to get under 2:00 I think.

[dale_8888]

You may be able to solve the mystery as to why my body has gone from nearly the best it's ever been to absolutely rubbish. My recent activities are as follows:

30 Oct: OD race

31 Oct: Rest
01 Nov: morning swim, morning MTB, afternoon swim, afternoon road ride. Total 7.5km swim, 3 hours riding
02 Nov: AM/PM swim (6.5km), 50km easy ride
03 Nov: 3.4km swim, 83km TT ride
04 Nov: 1.5km swim (sore shoulder), 2 hour intervals ride
05 Nov: 130km ride
06 Nov: 43km TT ride

07 Nov: rest
08 Nov: 1.6km swim (easy due to shoulder), 4x1km run intervals
09 Nov: 2.2km swim, 19km TT ride, 6.5km run
10 Nov: 2.6km swim, 65km ride
11 Nov: 2.6km swim, 4km run TT, 75km hard ride
12 Nov: 2.8km swim
13 Nov: brick session - 100km ride, 15km run

14 Nov: 3.0km swim, 1 hr hill repeats (ride), 8km easy run (was actually hard)
15 Nov: 3.0km swim
16 Nov: rest
17 Nov: 5x2km run intervals
18 Nov: 2.4km swim - went on Holidays this day
19 Nov: 3.0km swim
20 Nov: 3.0km swim

21-25 Nov: Nothing
26 Nov: attempted 1km intervals which failed
27 Nov: 11km run - very slow
28 Nov: 4km tempo run
29 Nov: rest
30 Nov: 11km run - slow - return from holiday
01 Dec: nothing
02 Dec: nothing
03 Dec: 4km TT

Based on the above I feel I have done virtually nothing for 3 weeks which is why I am so confused as to why my body is shutting itself down. The period I was on holidays for from 18 Nov - 30 Nov it was much hotter and much more humid like I said but also I was not eating properly at all. I was having very late nights and still getting up relatively early. Probably average about 6 hours sleep per night.

I have still been going to bed late for the last couple of nights but hopefully I can change that now.

I am now in a cooler, less humid climate with a shagged body. I weigh about 1kg heavier than I was but I look fatter (IMO), feel fatter and less healthy and basically need to get back into my diet and proper training. Need a massive body detox! and I need to stop burning the candle from both ends!!!

What are your thoughts?

[TheEd]

if you look back to a few of my earlier posts you will read that I was trying to fore warn you

best to try recover before the event

TheEd
ps.. will send u a private message

[dale_8888]

Hey TheEd,

Hope the move went well

Haven't done much since last time we spoke.

07 Dec: 2.2km swim
10 Dec: 10km ride (easy)

I was trying to rest however I was really busy and on my feet a lot during the week so I don't think the rest was optimal at all!

Anyway today I did the Canberra ironman 70.3. I was quite upset with my run time and I was hurting sooo much more than after 40km on the bike, which surprised me based on the brick session I did a few weeks back.

The run splits are:

km time av HR max HR
1 5:27.7 159 167
2 5:31.2 161 165
3 5:32.1 162 164
4 5:33.5 161 165
5 5:40.2 161 166
6 5:39.0 162 167
7 5:41.0 161 167
8 5:46.8 163 168
9 5:22.0 165 168
10 5:20.9 166 170
11 5:23.5 167 170
12 5:25.5 167 170
13 5:33.0 166 171
14 5:16.9 169 173
15 5:30.7 168 171
16 5:44.2 167 170
17 5:50.3 166 171
18 6:17.6 165 167
19 5:31.9 164 167
20 5:38.7 165 168
21 6:08.9 166 170

total 21km, 1:57.55, pace 5:37/km, av HR 164

Not going to lie, it was very very hard with my left foot being numb for at least the first half of the race!!!

[TheEd]

at least you have something to build-on and the experience should assist in your further development

the last few weeks before the event was not the best preparation

so .. onwards and forwards

TheEd
ps.. move OK but only got home internet connection yesterday

[dale_8888]

TheEd,

I was after your thoughts for training over the next few months...

This week I am not going to do very much, probably a couple of swims and that's about it. I'm pretty sore

Races coming up: 22 Jan, 12 Feb, 11 Mar, 1 Apr.

All of the races are Olympic distance triathlons exxcept 1 Apr which is a sprint distance. I was hoping to peak for 11 Mar to get my best 10km time in the triathlon.

I was thinking of the following: week 1-4 (19 Dec - 15 Jan) base training phase, weeks 5-8 (16 Jan - 12 Feb) speed training phase, weeks 9-12 (13 Feb - 11 Mar) taper and race on 11 Mar, weeks 13-14 (12 Mar - 25 Mar) speed training, week 15 (26 Mar - 1 Apr) taper and race.

What are your thoughts?

Also looking at my splits from the 70.3 I am best at swimming (268th overall), bike is middle (329th overall) and rubbish at running (475th overall). I'll continue spending 6 days a week at the pool but balance the run better with the bike I think.

[TheEd]

dale .. let me look to roll out a TRI plan which incorporates the basis of the 10k program format

a little under pressure this side but will hope to have something before the week is out

willing to wait to see format

TheEd

[dale_8888]

Hey TheEd,

I just did a beach running set on soft sand, no shoes.

10min WU
10x400m with 2:00 min rest between each
5x8-9sec max with 1:00 min between each
10min CD

I was aiming to do a speed set and I think it will have incorporated power well due to the added difficulty of the terrain. I will post up HR, times, etc. when I download it after christmas.

What are your thoughts on beach running though?
Do you think it will increase power? What sort of workouts can be done on the beach? I don't think the speed should be because you're legs won't tick over at the same rate, is this right?

Cheers

[TheEd]

not a great fan of beach running as the risk of injury can often be greater than the benefits

for running the 2k and 1k session plus long run is the best training for development to start with

hope to get some breathing space to focus on the tri training layout

Cheers

TheEd

[dale_8888]

TheEd,

Just did a 7km tempo run - probably averaged around 5:05min/km which is a far cry from my normal average.

I think I may have an explanation for why I perfromed so well at the end of October and why I am performing so bad now. Let me know if you think I am high

why I was quicker: Prior to the race in October I did probably about 3 runs but a reasonable amount of riding, so I think I got my fitness from that and the couple of runs I did gave a huge imrpovement.

why I am now slow: Now that I am running more I think my leg muscles are being broken down a lot more and because they are not used to running this much are finding it impossible to repair quick enough.

Solutions???: So I was thinking since my body is used to not running much at all, for the next few months I was thinking of doing the 2k and 1k sessions, but with less intervals to reduce the muscle tearing and instead of only running 3 times per week with 10+km per session I was thinking of having one long run (build up to 20km), one speed session (around 6-8km including w/u and c/d), one tempo type session (6-8km including w/u and c/d) and the three days in between have maybe 20min (~3km) 'recovery' runs with HR around 140 or so. I will have the running recovery days as my ride days. With 1 day per week off.

I think I have brought some sanity to my training as well. Last week I swam 3 times with one being a recovery session and that was all (recovery from the 70.3). This week (so far) I have done:
Mon: Swim, beach run
Tue: easy swim, ride (strength work)
today: tempo run - about to do a light ride (meeting someone, not training - unavoidable) then swim session this afternoon.

I am also eating and sleeping properly again.

Sorry this is so long. What are your thoughts?