1/2 ironman training plan?

bluetrumpet01

@dee_thurman just using pedals and shoes isn't going to really do anything for your riding ability. in fact, you're more likely to injure yourself because of the limited amount of movement your foot now has and the fact that most newbies tend to want to pull up really hard from 6 o'clock to 12 o'clock (pedal position during a pedal stroke) which causes strain on your achilles and calf.

now that you're on pedals, you're going to want to make sure that your bike fit is correct. it's more important now that your leg is locked into the bike because a bad fit can cause strain from your ankle to your hips.

to get the most out of your pedals, you're going to have to practice pedaling drills. you can google these, but the majority of the time they recommend you do these on a trainer (which i know you don't have). it takes a ton of repetition to commit these new movements to muscle memory. ideally, you don't want to pull from 6 o'clock to 12 o'clock, you can want to kick your foot forward from about 10 o'clock to 3 o'clock, and then metaphorically scrape the ground as you pull back from 3 o'clock back to 7 o'clock. being able to do this smoothly increases your pedaling efficiency which will *in time* make you faster

dee_thurman

When I run my heart rate is around 130 - 145. I am pretty comfortable at running the pace I need to run and my heart stays around those numbers. When I bike it isn't even close to that. I have an average HR of 100 - 110 almost every time I ride. I am not trying to sprint on the bike by any means but I feel like I am exerting more energy on rides than when I ride and my HR doesn't reflect that. I have read that when you bike your HR isn't going to be as high as when you run. Is the difference between my run and bike HR normal?

dee_thurman

bluetrumpet01 - There is no doubt I have a lot to learn about biking. I know I am not efficient on the bike. I don't really have an aches or pains. In fact my body feels much better swimming biking running and lifting than it did when I was just running and lifting. I am sure I will hurt more as the training gets more intense. I have not heard or read anything like you just posted. I appreciate the post. You are correct I don't have a trainer so I will have to try to smooth out my pedal stroke as I train on the trail/road.

solieco1

Run Hr will be highest, then bike avg HR, then swim.

dee_thurman

My swim HR is much higher than my bike HR. My swim HR is closer to my run HR.

Capt_Apollo

for swimming, at least once a month you should be doing a practice mile, even in the pool, to get used to the distance you'll be swimming for you 70.3. so about 2000 yards straight. maybe not at first though. work your way up. but you should be getting in at least one long set every other swim workout of 500 yards.

also, once a week, do a set of 500 yards and practice sighting. it takes a while to get used to it, and even popping up your head in a pool works.

heybales

Depends on what discipline you come from as to what HR may be higher.
I started with running and did biking later - I have the same HRmax and same LT HR, lab and field tested.

Studies showing a difference usually have people like me having lower on the bike.
At least one study of triathletes that came from biking background had most of them matching. Because ya - cyclist are tougher! ;-)

So it's usually perception, since it's less impact on the body, there is less HR increase purely from that aspect - which means you are getting it all from your energy going into moving.
So indeed feels as hard but lower HR - on average.

The general nature of riding too though results in lower average for a workout session usually.
You go up a hill you get an increase from perhaps pushing harder, you lower on the top and it really lowers going down - even if pedaling to limit of gearing. Or stop and go with lights/stop signs.

Whereas running you get no such relief if you attempt to maintain pace, even downhills aren't a relief if using gravity to your benefit and going faster - so the average is higher.

They are slightly different muscles being used too - hence the good cross-training nature of them combined.
So the newer ones will get the same treatment running gave the others - it'll get better.

Swimming just probably out of shape right now for those muscles - from perspective of endurance cardio anyway.

sarabushby

Some good advice from @Capt_Apollo there about practising sighting. If you don't you could end up easily swimming +20% of the distance in the event.

Try to learn to be comfortable breathing both sides so you can keep a better eye on what's going on around you, and learn to sight by lifting your head only enough so that your eyes come up - think like a set of crocodile eyes, then turn your head to the side, breath, and pop it back under. The less you lift your head the less your legs will drop slowing you down.

Try to practice not just going through the motions in the pool but genuinely 'seeing' what's in front of you, it's easy to look up but not so easy for the brain to actually digest what you're looking at so that you can then take any necessary action. Buoys can be hard to spot sometimes in OW. If possible you should find a bigger landmark to sight to e.g find the correct line to the buoy then work out whether you need to head for 'the big tall building' or 'the two trees' etc.

Have you got any OW swimming in yet?

heybales

Even planning out where is the rising sun potentially coming from for the swim route. Far too many seem to route such as to make seeing the buoys about impossible from a distance, I've seen the whole group trust lead swimmers who are not going straight line. But if they had reversed the route, wouldn't have been an issue.

dee_thurman

I have not practiced open water swimming and most of my workouts, I am doing 100's or 200's with 10 or 15 seconds in between. I am getting 1250 or even 1500 yards within all of my reps but it is saying to rest. I have had a couple of longer swims within my workout program but I have a feeling when there is no wall 25 yards away it will be a much different feeling. I need to practice an open water swim. How do you know how far you swim in the open water?

sarabushby

Most lakes that host swimmers will have measured courses e.g 'one circuit of the yellow buoys is 750m' or you can track it with a GPS watch although the accuracy when you look back at a map of your swim can be a little interesting at times. Have you got somewhere nearby you can go to swim? In our area the lakes tend to make you do an assessment & safety briefing before they'll let you swim independently thereafter so bear in mind you may have to wait a few weeks to get booked in for one if its a similar setup where you are.

lemurcat12

See if you can find any tri groups in your area, they will have OW swims and at least you could find out where people do it in your area.

dee_thurman

I have looked for tri groups. The tri group that is 20 minutes away from where I live is no longer active. The websites and email no longer work. My next guess is the tri group closest to where I live would be 1 hour away. I think that is too far for me.

dee_thurman

I have recently had another b-day. I received a mat. I runner's belt to put my phone and gels. A little container on my bike to put my gels. I also got goggles, nose and ear plugs.

I still need a wetsuit but I am getting closer to where I need to be. Any advice for a good but inexpensive wetsuit?

Capt_Apollo

Xterra has sales all the time, 40-50% off.

sarabushby

@dee_thurman the most important thing with the wetsuit is getting the fit right. Don't buy before trying it on, or if possible, depending which online stores you have over there, order a bunch, try them on and keep the one that fits, return the others for free. It should be very tight out of the water but when you're in the water it'll feel significantly looser. Check YouTube videos on how to put it on and take it off properly as they'll show you how not to damage it (SO easily done with a fingernail) and how to get it into position properly and how to know if it's a good fit for you.

dee_thurman

http://xterraoutlet.com/collections/wetsuits/products/vortex-sleeveless-wetsuit?variant=12552855875

what do you think about this wetsuit?

Djproulx

dee_thurman wrote: »

http://xterraoutlet.com/collections/wetsuits/products/vortex-sleeveless-wetsuit?variant=12552855875

what do you think about this wetsuit?

That's the wetsuit I own. Have used it for 3 years with no issues.

Capt_Apollo

dee_thurman wrote: »

http://xterraoutlet.com/collections/wetsuits/products/vortex-sleeveless-wetsuit?variant=12552855875

what do you think about this wetsuit?

i have the vortex full sleeves.

where do you live, and what race are you doing? you might be better off getting a long sleeved due to water temperature.

i'm all about getting full sleeved wetsuits. the sleeves give you more buoyancy, and if a race is wetsuit legal, why short change yourself?

dee_thurman

i will be attempting a triathlon in Michigan in August. The average temp is 77 degrees. I will also be doing a sprint marathon in Indy next month. I would say that the temp is going to be less than that.

dee_thurman

I just finished my 40 mile bike ride this morning. 40/50/60 miles on the bike seemed really intimidating to me when I first sat out to do a triathlon. I know the feeling the first time I ran 13/15/17/20 miles for my marathon. I would say that long runs are much more difficult than the longer bike rides. My body doesn't get beat up the same way. I makes it more enjoyable to ride. I love running but when you are running every day and have long runs your body just feels different than when you get off the bike.

sarabushby

I like long rides, the places you can take yourself, the scenery and things that you notice that you'd never spot or appreciate in a car. I especially love the heady scent of the flowers when you ride past a particular hedgerow or a Wisteria growing up the side of someone's house. I love how you're close to nature, the lambs in the fields, there's even a llama and a donkey someone has as pets near here, and this time of year you see all the baby ducklings and so forth. Its so much more than just 'training' :-D

dee_thurman

i saw a baby fox, deer, beaver, all kinds of birds, chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, etc... all on my ride. A bird actually swooped down and hit the top of my helmet today about 3 miles into my ride (first time for everything.) There is a really neat 60+ mile trail near where I live that is awesome to bike. I love my long bike rides in the early morning.

Capt_Apollo

dee_thurman wrote: »

i will be attempting a triathlon in Michigan in August. The average temp is 77 degrees. I will also be doing a sprint marathon in Indy next month. I would say that the temp is going to be less than that.

go full sleeves.

dee_thurman

rode my bike yesterday for 25 miles and my heart rate was in my cardio zone for the first time. I didn't even think I was mike a concerted effort to go faster but I went 1.5 mph faster than I usually do and my heart rate averaged in the 130's. I don't know how I did it but I felt fine. I guess it was just a decent day (For me) on the bike.

Capt_Apollo

i find that to get my heartrate up on the bike, i need to be going at a pretty good pace. Running is a different story. Even an easy run i'm in a low zone 4, however it recovers quickly.

dee_thurman

I went on a new route on my bike and felt like I was going the same pace that I always go but when I looked at it later I was going a little faster and my heart rate was up. I take that as a good thing. When I run, I run about an 8 minute a mile pace and I am usually around 130 - 140. I can stay at that pace and my heart rate pretty much stays right there. Sometimes I will go a little faster and it usually doesn't effect my heart rate all that much. Hills get my rate up but if I am around that pace that is usually where my heart rate is going to be.

heybales

Biking usually also has a natural interval nature to it, recovery when going down inclines or coasting for stops.

Whereas running has none.

My range of HR on the bike for an avgHR of say 158 top of aerobic zone, would easily be 120 to 180.
But running I could easily nail that 158 almost constantly except for lights.
And the run would feel much harder.

Actually, when I know I'm doing a pretty flat bike route, I'll sometimes set the lower HR alarm and try to keep it high the whole time, but below a certain point too. Usually feels much harder than normal attack the hills and recover type ride.

dee_thurman

I don't know what happened in the past two weeks but I have increased my speed (without even trying) buy 2 mph. I used to average a little above 15 and now I am at 17.5. I don't feel like I am trying any harder or exerting more energy. I might be getting used to my shoes or just getting more used to my bike but I don't feel like I have been doing anything much different.

heybales

Slightly different muscles are being trained - some efficiency improvements likely, and cardio improvements. Your lung and heart already improved from the running, merely applied to biking specific muscles now.

Good job, now get to experience wind resistance more and more.