Half Iron Training Question
smbkrn
Posts: 30 Member
I am training for a half ironman race. The race takes place at the end of July. I did 3 sprint distance races last year and would like some more experience going into the longer distance race. My training plan has me training six days a week so my question is: Am I okay to replace a longer workout day with a sprint or olympic distance race? If so, how often am I okay doing this? I was thinking of racing once a month up to my half ironman race but am concerned that missing my distance runs will catch up to me.
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Do you have "rest" weeks built into your plan where you're volume is cut back for the week? I tend to schedule my athletes B races at the end of rest weeks. It gives you a faux taper going in.
You can also schedule a race and then run extra on the end of it. Last year going into my HIM I did an Olympic and then ran another 5-6 at a slow pace afterwards.
I'd say every month is fine. 4-6 weeks.0 -
I am on a 16 week plan and every 4th week is a recovery week. I wasn't sure if scheduleing races would be good for recovery since the consenus on the running side of things is that you should take a couple days off (or light running) after a race to allow your body to recover fully before going back into hard training. You make a very good point about using your recovery week as a fuax taper going into a shorter event. I am sure this will help my performance throughout the event as well.
How many weeks prior to my HIM do you think I shouls stop racing? There is an olympic 2 weeks before that I would like to do. It is a larger event and I think it will be similar to the size of my HIM. I am thinking the experience of a large race before hand would be good since the previous events I completed were on the smaller side,0 -
I think racing an Oly 2 weeks out is fine. You need to listen to your body the week after and then taper going into the HIM.
In regards to recovery after racing I would think about switching an easy swim into the Monday slow after a race. Being in the water helps with recovery and you can flush the whole system with a recovery swim.0 -
I think racing an Oly 2 weeks out is fine. You need to listen to your body the week after and then taper going into the HIM.
In regards to recovery after racing I would think about switching an easy swim into the Monday slow after a race. Being in the water helps with recovery and you can flush the whole system with a recovery swim.
I agree with this advice. I would HIGHLY recommend getting at least one OLY in before your 1/2 Iron. It's a big jump to go from a sprint into the longer distances.0 -
Yeah...I wanted to try to get in 2 olys before my 1/2 IM but scheduling is getting tough and given the temps here in MN right now, May tri's are going to be very cold swims. We just got 6 inches of snow here last week! I have the option mof doing another oly in place of the sprint in early june. Would you recommend the switch to the oly? My only concern is that my swimming plan only has me swimming around 1000 yards right now and although I would do the swim for the oly, I don't want to just "do" the swim. The event I am going to compete in is usually comprised of clubs and they put on a pretty good showing. I can compete at the sprint distance with them but not sure if I can and the oly distance. Plus I thought it woudl be nice to be able to knock of the cob webs on a shorter distance race.0
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Yeah...I wanted to try to get in 2 olys before my 1/2 IM but scheduling is getting tough and given the temps here in MN right now, May tri's are going to be very cold swims. We just got 6 inches of snow here last week! I have the option mof doing another oly in place of the sprint in early june. Would you recommend the switch to the oly? My only concern is that my swimming plan only has me swimming around 1000 yards right now and although I would do the swim for the oly, I don't want to just "do" the swim. The event I am going to compete in is usually comprised of clubs and they put on a pretty good showing. I can compete at the sprint distance with them but not sure if I can and the oly distance. Plus I thought it woudl be nice to be able to knock of the cob webs on a shorter distance race.
I'd say just do one Oly. Honestly if you do an Oly right it is closer to a sprint than a HIM. It's just really nice to know that you can knock out an Oly swim because it's so close to a HIM. Oly bikes are closer to redline than a HIM and an Oly run is definitely redline the whole way. It's maybe the most painful distance. HIMs are about controlling your bike so you have the legs to get off and run. You'll see a crapton of folks walking HIM runs because they overcook the bike.0 -
I think that jumping in and doing that longer swim will help boost your confidence around the swim. I think you'll be suprised at how well you do on the swim in the race setting.
Where are you in MN? I grew up in MN and only moved out of the state a few years ago. I recall that there a quite a few races in the summer in SE MN. I am going to join a friend and do the Timberman tri up in Grand Rapids in July. I am just doing the sprint up there. 0 -
Hey, another fellow Minnesotan...albeit now displaced.
. Born and raised there in southern MN until about eight years ago when I moved to Phoenix. The weather there has been crazy! I bet it's totally messed with your training huh? 0 -
I am from the north suburbs of Minneapolis. There are a lot of races within an hour or so of the metro. This year I am planning on 4 races. One min Michigan when I am home on vacation, Lifetime Fitness International on Lake Nakomis, Chisago Half Iron, and Maple Grove Tri (which I think is now a Lifetme Fitness event as well).0
