triathlon training plan, input please.

Capt_Apollo
Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have in 17 weeks the NYC triathlon. It is on July 14th. it is not my first triathlon, but it is my first Olympic distance event. i completed two sprints last year.

This off season has been tough. some personal issues along with a sprained ankle made me lose a lot of conditioning, but i've slowly gotten back on the horse. i've been lifting mostly, but running and swimming too. i ran 5 miles this past saturday in 50 minutes, which imo is pretty good considering i haven't been doing it much. I swam in college (distance swimmer), so getting in the pool and doing 2000 yards in 45 minutes is no problem for me. my cycling could use a little improvement, but my problem area is running.

I work at a power plant, where i do twelve hour shifts, both nights and days. Below is a copy of my schedule. i'll generally work 3-4 days, have a few days off, work 3-4 night shifts, a few days off, etc etc. the schedule repeats itself every 5 weeks. I also get 8 days off in a row every five weeks.

Direct link>>> http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c147/engineman312/schedule1_zps2e3a8386.gif
schedule1_zps2e3a8386.gif
A= 6am-6pm
P= 6pm- 6am (The P is in the day I report in)
5= 6am-2pm This is a flex week at work, where they can send you to a training class, or change your schedule to cover any open watches. it can be a little flexible, with time, but generally i'm doing an 8 hour day.
X= day off

on the days that i work "A" shift, i'm spent. sure i get out at about 6pm, but i don't get home until about 7pm, and i'm usually spent, and have to do the whole thing again tomorrow. so i'll just throw those up as rest days. on night shifts i can and do work out the morning they start, but then i'm usually exhausted. i go to sleep as soon as i get home and wake up around 1pm. i have found that if i've slept well, i can usually get in a short but sweet work out an hour or so after that. on the morning that i get out of my last night shift, i find that working out makes me feel a lot better and helps reset my internal clock a little. i try and avoid lifting though. the pool i swim at is right on my way home, so i'll have my swim gear in my car on those nights, and hit the pool.

so i'm trying to figure out a good schedule for swimming, cycling, running, and even hoping to throw in a few lifting days. this is the schedule for my pool http://www.berkeleycarroll.org/athletics/athletic-center-swim-classes/index.aspx I also don't live that far from the beach (coney island is a 9 mile bike ride) so i could bike there with my wetsuit and jump in for an open ocean swim session (i've done this before).

i have no problem waking up early on my days off to work out. i feel that i'm a strong enough swimmer that i feel that i can get away with only swimming 3-4 times every five weeks. i'm much weaker in the run, so i think that i need to run at least twice a week. i should be cycling at least twice a week, and will try and get more cycling in as the weather warms up and i can ride my bike to and from the pool (five miles).

so any input would be nice, but i think after reading all of this i'm more just thinking out loud.

Replies

  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    Are you able to incorporate exercise into your work at all? I'm up at 4AM to commute into the city and get home around 7PM. If I didn't lift over my lunch break, I never would. Is biking to work or running or whatever an option?
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    Are you able to incorporate exercise into your work at all? I'm up at 4AM to commute into the city and get home around 7PM. If I didn't lift over my lunch break, I never would. Is biking to work or running or whatever an option?

    work is 13 miles from home. yes, i could ride to and from easily, however i'm not going to right now for a number of reasons. i live in brooklyn and work in queens, and to and from work there are not many bike paths. i'd be sharing the road with cars and trucks. also, i have to be ready to work at 6am, meaning that i have to be there at 530am to shower, change and get the turn over. i don't work a typical job; there is someone at the power plant waiting for me to get there so that they can go home.

    cycling to and from work is an option. one day that i'm off i will try it during the day so that i can see what the ride is like and figure out the best route to take. maybe i can try it when i go in on night shifts, since i go in while it's still light out, and i leave in the morning when the sun is rising.
  • 180trigoal
    180trigoal Posts: 13
    Dude....you'll be able to "finish". The only question is how will you feel about it. So A) stop worrying too much. B) Don't just go out and run 5 mi. You need to build up the running muscles, and rythmn Now you'll probably not want to do this. But I'd suggest a 15 minute "walk" on your 12 hour days. At least that gets the muscles going, and makes you feel like less of a load. My guess is that you also get lots of walking in on teh job. If so...buy a Fitbit, and put it in your pocket and track it. You'll probably feel better abou tthe job too.

    Second. after a week or so of the 15 minute walks. Turn them into an easy 20 minute run. If you're running 10 min. miles now. Start with a 2 mile run (on your 12 hour days). I know I know. You'll feel like isht at first. But seriously try it. Try different timing too. LIke get up early BEFORE work for the 20 min run. then 10 min. to get food and beverage in your gut....then shower, and you'll feel great for the day. (and positive.).

    I'm a former high school swimmer. and 56 years old. So the run was initially my challenge too. But now blieve it or not the swim is the challenge for me. I have one speed...slow. So I try to make swimming my super efficient leg. I'm doing about 1:40 100's and can get out of the water with almost no fatigue. So my bike and run have become fun to push. I'm betting you're fast than me, and probably very efficient given that you were a distance swimmer. You'll be great, and the olympic distance is perfect. Not too hard on the legs, and yet you'll kick axx during the swim.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    thanks for the advice trigoal. i know i'll be able to finish. thats not my issue. and i didn't just go out and run 5 miles after not having run in months. i have been building my conditioning back up since january. i would lift 3-4 times a week, and usually run a mile or so as part of my warm up. i'd run once a week, slowly building back up. the week before my five mile run i ran 4 miles, and the week before that it was 3.

    my job isn't always super active, but i do get a chance to walk around... but thats not something i'm going to really think about. keeping myself moving is not something i'm concerned about.

    i already get up at 430am to be at work at about 530am. getting up any earlier is going to be rough. very very rough. i'm usually in bed by 930pm anyway, so thats 7 hours of "rest," maybe 6 or so of sleep.

    rtalencar, i forgot to answer your "can you work out at work" question. it depends on the day, and how busy we are. getting out to go to the gym or a run during lunch is impossible. but the welders did install a dip station, plenty of pipes for pull ups, and the floor is great for lunges, bw squats, and push ups. might even be able to sneak in a kettle bell. but like i said, it depends on the work load, so i don't want to come to rely on it.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    my rest is important. i already tend to do too much, so i don't want to start sacrificing my sleep to go and run twenty minutes.

    i'd rather take it easy those 3-4 twelve hour day shifts, and then double up on work outs on my days off.
  • letjog
    letjog Posts: 260 Member
    My little tuppence worth, following on from previous poster... Keep the A days as rest days except for ONE of them in a group go out for a short run/run walk after work before you eat dinner. I know you're tired, but I work 12 hour shifts as a doctor running around a hospital and I know you can still run and feel good when you're out there. Plus a run can be very short and still have benefit. Even going out for 30mins is worth it. If you live near a hill and sprint up and down it 8 times you get an excellent workout in 15 minutes.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    My little tuppence worth, following on from previous poster... Keep the A days as rest days except for ONE of them in a group go out for a short run/run walk after work before you eat dinner. I know you're tired, but I work 12 hour shifts as a doctor running around a hospital and I know you can still run and feel good when you're out there. Plus a run can be very short and still have benefit. Even going out for 30mins is worth it. If you live near a hill and sprint up and down it 8 times you get an excellent workout in 15 minutes.

    yeah, that's something i've done before and should be doing again. a run in the afternoon wouldn't hurt, and like you said, it can be a short hill sprints run. i have a good hill in my neighborhood.

    i have to keep work out clothes in my car so i can change into them at work. if i step into my house then i'm done. i won't go out.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    work is 13 miles from home. yes, i could ride to and from easily, however i'm not going to right now for a number of reasons. i live in brooklyn and work in queens, and to and from work there are not many bike paths. i'd be sharing the road with cars and trucks. also, i have to be ready to work at 6am, meaning that i have to be there at 530am to shower, change and get the turn over. i don't work a typical job; there is someone at the power plant waiting for me to get there so that they can go home.

    cycling to and from work is an option. one day that i'm off i will try it during the day so that i can see what the ride is like and figure out the best route to take. maybe i can try it when i go in on night shifts, since i go in while it's still light out, and i leave in the morning when the sun is rising.

    Yeah, understood about the work thing, obviously that's a priority and you have to make sure it's good, but if you're able to, even once or twice in your five week rotation, that's one or two rides that you don't need to do other times.

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