Here's my training weeks leading up to Ironman Switzerland. I'll update them weekly and slot in the most recent at the top each week.I'm self coached now and the basic plan is to go back to my 2009/2010 training plan and adding some of the lessons I've learned since. I don't have the same mileage in my legs and I'm 10kg+ heavier, therefore the main emphasis is to get the weight down, build some mileage and everything else is secondary. Getting the weight down will be critical. I'll worry about a more scientific approach for my next Ironman. I've given up booze totally and not eating dinner most days.
The plan will consist of two "Prep" weeks to try to get myself into a routine of training again and also to nurse my injured right arm. (MTB accident, in a sling, basically I can't use it for now). Then 4 weeks "Phase One" loading the miles, then 6 weeks of "Phase Two" full-on Ironman mileage and finally 2 weeks "Taper".
The stats leading up to the start (things had really gone to the dogs as you can see): -
Average weekly training hours since Jan 1st until start of Prep Week 1 - 6hr53
Average Weekly Swim Distance since Jan 1st until start of Prep Week 1 - 2.7km
Average Weekly Bike Distance since Jan 1st until start of Prep Week 1 - 1.04km
Average Weekly Run Distance since Jan 1st until start of Prep Week 1 - 16km
Weight 84.7kg
Weight 71kg
Swim 22km - Bike 367km - Run 46km - Gym 3hr20
(Long Bike/Run Brick 184k/12.5k, Long Run 21k)
TOTAL TRAINING TIME 27hr42
Comments: -
Hmm! Mixed feeling about this week. After last weekend's races and next week the beginning of my taper I was highly motivated to make this the last big week without any missed sessions. I was happy to accept a sluggish start to the week but I guess the big loading over the last few weeks, considerable weight loss, low glycogen reserves, two races and an "over-reaching" training plan, all took their toll. The thing that really suffered was my running, I was just too mentally and physically exhausted to do it all.
I put in a decent run after my long ride on Saturday but come Sunday I had my last 32k scheduled, I was in pieces from the off and considered getting a taxi back at 11k. I reminded myself I was going to feel worse than this in a couple of weeks at IMZurich so even if this wasn't doing me any physical good it was certainly great mental training. I slugged it out back to the car with the help of my all girl body guard squadron (thanks again girls) and called it a day at 21k.
Oh well ay! I did what I could do, the whole idea is to push the limits to breaking point without making excuses but without actually breaking either. I found that limit this week and other than my little bout of food poisoning I haven't been laid of sick, training has been pretty darn consistent and I'm still mentally very motivated.
It's taper time now although the taper doesn't look much like a taper, not this week anyway haha. Race day less than 14days away - getting excited! Yay.
Phase 2 Week 5 (w/e 07/07/13)Weight 72kg
Swim 12km - Bike 102km - Run 18km - Gym 0hr
(Port Dickson Sprint Tri - 1:07:59 - 1st 40-49 Age-group)
(Port Dickson Challenge [1.5km/1km/43km/9.5km] - 2:12:07 -
1st 40-49 Age-group, 2nd overall)
TOTAL TRAINING TIME 8hr06
Comments: -
This week was always going to be a light effort week culminating in a Sprint tri on Saturday and a slightly longer than Olympic distance tri on Sunday. As it happens I didn't intend to back off as much as I did but hey ho, as I said last week I have been loading big volume and was reaching my mental and physical limit. What I didn't expect though was coming down with chronic food poisoning on Thursday evening. Despite the resulting excellent outcome at the weekend, Thursday night and all day Friday was just a miserable cascade of vomit and diarrhoea, mostly the latter. By Friday night I could eat again and Emer, one of my running buddies and also a doctor, recommended I take as many Oral Rehydration Salt sachets as I could manage - I managed 10 Friday, 2 Saturday morning and 2 Sunday morning.
My stomach started cramping again during the run on Saturday's tri but being a sprint it was over before it got too bad and on Sunday it was a really difficult to digest anything during the race. Both days I had no power on the bike but the run was fine, strangely. All in all a dodged bullet and an awesome outcome.
I was just 1min39secs from winning the whole thing, something I've never dreamed of at my advancing years let alone after food poisoning. As I keep telling those who care to listen (and those that don't) I am Benjamin Button. Haha.
The plan is to load the volume big time again next week to the maximum before a 2 week taper. Let's see how that works.
Weight 72kg
Swim 15km - Bike 350km - Run 63km - Gym 2hr
(Long Bike 184k, Long Run 32k)
TOTAL TRAINING TIME 24hr47
Comments: -
Horrific Haze came down big time Monday and Tuesday, no way would it have been safe to swim although should have done the indoor sessions, sadly it threw my routine and thus my resolve so I ended up doing nothing for these two days. Air quality improved enough to get back into it on Wednesday and then I was just trying to play catch up doing 30hrs in 5 days...it didn't happen.
Still an OK week, di dlong run on Saturday and flew, long ride on Sunday and had nothing much to give and missed the brick run afterwards tch tch.
Clearly reaching my limit, good to recognise it, so won't beat myself up too much. Sprint Tri next Saturday and Olympic Distance Tri on Sunday won my AG in both last time I did them so would like to do well and will back off a bit next week.
I may not be there yet but I'm closer than I was last week.
Weight 73kg
Swim 21km - Bike 400km - Run 82km - Gym 3hr20
(Long Bike/Run Brick 184k/8.8k, Long Run 32k)
TOTAL TRAINING TIME 31hr40
Comments: -
Wobbled a bit at the beginning of the week missing my 18k dreadmill interval session. Did it on Friday instead though, this meant 5 days in a row running from Wednesday through Sunday, this meant the end of the week was seriously loaded and I was totally whacked. Did everything except 2 optional easy bike sessions, so a total win but boy oh boy, tired or what?!!!
Big problem now is the haze, it is now super thick, twice as bad as it was over the weekend for my long ride and run and it was super bad then. The other guys on the long ride stopped and got taxi's home it was so bad. Just hoping for major rain storms but looks like most stuff this week at least will have to be done indoors. The swim is going to be an issue!
Somehow got to keep on track.
Weight 74kg
Swim 21km - Bike 440km - Run 81km - Gym 2hr40
(Long Bike/Run Brick 187k/8.8k, Long Run 32k)
TOTAL TRAINING TIME 32hr24
Comments: -
A very satisfying week, 20 sessions and only missed one optional gym session and one optional easy turbo. I'm managing the loading, body and mind adapting reasonably well to it all. There are sessions where I have nothing to give, no power, high lactic acid and can't get my heart rate anywhere near where it should be. These sessions are effectively the recovery time and I expected them but they're tough pills to swallow.
Sleep has been pretty good which is incredibly important with such high volume and no built in recovery days. I'm eating top quality food albeit still very minimal to drop the weight but starting to find myself snacking a little now, nuts, fruit etc. I guess the level that I was eating at is unsustainable so not too worried about it.
No signs of injury or illness yet although I'm starting to get some choice comments from various quarters just waiting for it to happen, ha! Managed my first brick run after a long ride on Saturday. Didn't have much in the legs for either ride or run but got them done. Sunday morning's long run was the real breakthrough, my legs were positively spritely and the speed reflected it - fitter, stronger and most importantly lighter - ONWARDS!
Weight 75kg
Swim 21km - Bike 401km - Run 62km - Gym 3hr20
(Long Bike 189k, Long Run 32k)
TOTAL TIME 30hr46
Comments: -
A good week really, had a blip on Wednesday, was supposed to do my mid week brick workout but it just didn't happen, I did do it on Thursday though but that meant pushing Thursday's run to Friday. Doable but after my swim and gym I made the mistake of having planned a game of golf in the 40C heat. Won't do that again as I missed an important run and a more important max effort turbo session. Won some money at golf though haha. Saturday's long ride was a super hilly one, low power and low heart rate (unable to push it up) were problems again. By the time I got home temp was through the roof and the brick run didn't happen. Sunday's long run was pretty good and progressively faster than previous weeks. Did a turbo session in the evening as a recovery ride and to push the bike mileage over the 400k per week target. Running again was a real let down this week although improved on last week. Long way off my 80km weekly target. Must focus more on this and force myself to at least do the all important brick runs. Weight continues to disappear which is helping all aspects of training, this is still the key factor and will eventually make the running more bearable as the loads reduce week on week.
Weight 76kg
Swim 25km - Bike 321km - Run 45km - Gym 2hr40
(Long Bike 194k, Long Run 32k)
TOTAL TRAINING TIME 27hr50
Comments: -
Solid week although running let me down a bit, I was just too whacked to do all the scheduled runs. Boys off from school so didn't have to do the school run and consequently my days all started later so I kept running out of time. By the time the weekend came around I was a mess, no power in my legs and sweating profusely before it even got hot. Couldn't get heart rate up either so clearly haven't adapted to volume yet. Missing runs was probably good and necessary. Long ride on Saturday was a massive struggle just to keep going. long run on Sunday not much better but got both of those important sessions in with a modicum of quality. Next week I move to full Ironman riding and running volumes in Phase 2. Uh-Ho! All good so far though.
Phase 1 Week 3 (w/e 26/05/13)Weight 77kg
Swim 18km - Bike 304km - Run 66km - Gym 3hr40
(Long Bike 190k, Long Run 32k)
TOTAL TRAINING TIME 27hr28
Comments: -
Great week except Friday, it was a holiday for the boys so no school run and it threw my routine, ended up sleeping most of the day. Felt awful about it but not going to beat myself up, I clearly needed it. Saturday long ride saw increased distance, lower heart rate and higher power than last week. Didn't manage a brick run though, too hot and need to HTFU. Sunday's long run was a huge confidence boost, kept up with the group (albeit they were taking it easy) but then last 11k alone was a solid run rather than an Ironman shuffle. Had planned to catch up on missed swimming and ride in the afternoon but didn't happen. Still struggling to come to terms with the volume but getting there.
Weight 78kg
Swim 17km - Bike 300km - Run 46km - Gym 2hr30
(Long Bike 184k, Long Run 25k)
TOTAL TRAINING TIME 24hr52
Comments: -
Felt great until Thursday afternoon, probably pushed too hard on Wednesday ride/run brick and got dehydrated. Just didn't have anything Thursday afternoon and by the time I turned up at the pool Friday morning I felt the beginnings of a cold/fever or worse. Didn't swim, went home and straight to bed for the day. Woke up Saturday for the long ride not feeling much better but well rested at least. Long ride was great and long run on Sunday a struggle but 25k in the bag.
Weight 80kg
Swim 21km - Bike 164km - Run 55km - Gym 2hr25
(Long Bike 0k, Long Run 22k)
TOTAL TRAINING TIME 21hr31
Comments: -
Started using my right arm swimming now carefully. Fantastic week's training until the weekend arrived. Sid and Seb had the Nexus Triathlon so couldn't ride in the morning. Super hot so ran in the evening, 22km only felt awful. Party Saturday night which ended at 2:30. Did nothing on Sunday - very poor, completely drained though.
Weight 82kg
Swim 20km - Bike 302km - Run 42.2km - Gym 1hr30
TOTAL TRAINING TIME 20hr51
Comments: -
Right arm slowly improving but still excruciatingly painful so all swimming still left arm and kicking only but letting right arm move through water now. Not eating dinner at all which is tough but the weight comes down super quick if you can tough it out.
Weight 85kg
Swim 20.24km - Bike 271km - Run 21km - Gym 20mins
TOTAL TRAINING TIME 20hr35
Comments: -
Right arm in a sling with badly damaged shoulder so all swimming was left arm and kicking only. The first day the doctor allowed out on the road bike I got rear-ended by a car but thankfully landed on my good side and the bike wasn't too badly damaged. Road rash will heal! ha!
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