Djproulx Member

I think that doing some bike work would be a benefit, not only to help you regain enthusiasm for your run days, but also to get the cardio and muscular endurance that comes from regular riding. Its a very nice cross training activity for runners.

They don't seem to add any/much drag. I can't tell the difference when wearing one. In fact, I have to check occasionally to be sure the belt hasn't slipped off my waist. Regarding floating during recovery, the buoy allows me to float upright, since the buoy is just about the right distance from my waist to be snug when…

I swim alone fairly often. I have a Roka mesh bag that holds a wetsuit, and I stuff shirt towel, keys in it and hang it on a fence over my flip flops. I leave my phone in my truck. While swimming I wear an inflatable pull buoy tethered to my waist, both for safety and visibility. The pull buoy has a waterproof compartment…

Glad to hear that your recovery is going well. It is tough to be sidelined, especially when you feel ok! Re: Your "sugar is evil" comment, once glycogen is depleted, its generally game over, a.k.a. "bonking".

Switched from pool to open water swim last night: did a slow 3,100 yds as an "out and back" on my local lake. Starting to feel less anxious about the IM swim next month. Today was a bike/run session. Bike was simple endurance work, trying to keep HR and power in check while staying ahead of nutrition/hydration in the heat…

Very humid during last night's run. 65minutes. Starting with 10 min warmup pace, then 3 x 16 minute intervals (8min hard, 7 min harder, 1 min recovery), then cool down jog. Bike this am was a series of cadence ladders plus some plain old endurance outputs. 3 x 12min cadence ladders holding 170 watts at various rpms 65-70,…

Swim workout today. A mix of speed and endurance. Warmup drills, then 10x50's and 4x 400's. 2650 yds total.

&1 for the idea of looking at fueling. As you increase your long runs, this becomes more important. A combination of calories(usually from carbs) electrolytes(sodium/magnesium/potassium, etc) and water. Both of the running coaches I used suggested fueling based on time, as opposed to mileage. So, if you're running for…

Skipped my indoor trainer session in favor of an easy outdoor ride with a couple friends who are newbie cyclists. Beautiful night to ride along the river while watching the fly fisherman. We spent 1:45:00 covering 22 miles at a social pace (13mph). All fun, no pain. Back to the lap pool tomorrow.

Nice swim work. Thinking I'd really struggle if I attempted water yoga!

Understand that mindset and it is common among my friends. That is why I use a coach and we track my fitness and fatigue. He said to me recently: "My main job with endurance athletes is to protect them from themselves".

Couldn't agree more with your rules. Those 3 exercise rules are exactly the same as mine. I learned this the hard way....twice.

Had a great training ride with tri club friends, most of whom are registered for the Chattanooga race in Sept. Early morning start of 52miles in a western loop, then after a 15 minute "aid station" lunch, we did a second 48 mile loop east of the river. Perfect weather, beautiful scenery and a fun group. Covered 100 miles…

Two hour trail run this morning. Humid and buggy, but nice to run in the woods. Need more swim work, so headed straight to the lake after the run. An1800yd continuous open water swim with no wetsuit was a great cool down. Focusing on recovery for the rest of today, since tomorrow will be a long training day. Group of us…

Nice! That is really moving!

Pool swim today. 2800 yds. warmup, drillls, then 4 x100's and 4 x 400's.

OP, you clearly have a working program in place that has delivered great weight loss and health management results. In reading over the later posts, a couple points mentioned by @ritzvin and @johnrsinger452 may be helpful if you decide to really focus on VO2 improvements. There are lots of online training plans for…

+1 for Friel's "Fast After 50" as a fascinating read. Friel lays out the factors facing us as we age(depressing, I know, lol) then gives strategies to mitigate the impacts on performance. The real life examples and proven strategies are inspiring.

Local sprint distance triathlon tonight was wildly fun! Most fun workout I've had in several years. Beautiful venue and laid back vibe. Race was limited to 110 participants. Temp was 94 degrees and very humid at race start. The short 600 yard swim was chaotic with a mass start. There was quite a scrum as swimmers mixed it…

This thread has generated some interesting discussion. @NorthCascades, I'm glad you made these points, since my comments may have led some to believe there is no value in understanding VO2 max. I realize that my perspective might be limited because my goals are to build endurance and get faster in races, so VO2 max…

Good to hear that your recent unplanned dismount was not damaging to you or the bike. Nice ride.

Thanks, @Ann, this race is always a lot of fun!

I'll look to others to respond as well. My answer to you is "It depends". If your primary goal is to increase cardio fitness and drive an uptick in VO2 max, then more cardio work is needed. If you are after the benefits of resistance training, such as increased strength and muscle tone, that is also great. With that said,…

Wishing speedy recovery to those on the mend here! Shortened swim today due to thunder causing the outdoor pool to close. Squeezed in 1900 yds before the whistle blew. The indoor pool was full of kids taking swimming lessons, so no go there. Local sprint tri tomorrow night will be steamy and fun. Forecast is for temps…

OP, I agree with the comments (from some very knowledgeable folks) that more volume and intensity would be needed to move the needle on VO2 Max. With that said, I find that VO2 max is not a particularly useful data point for me. Is there a specific reason for pursuing VO2 max improvement as a goal?

I don't focus on VO2 Max, but I can give you an idea of my workload and numbers as a reference. If memory serves, my highest numbers were achieved during 2018. I put down a VO2 max of 52 and a cycling VO2 Max of 50. I was injured in 2019 and my fitness plummeted due to 15 months of almost no activity. As of today, my VO2…

Back to work after a rest day on Monday. Morning run was 75 minutes, with 8 x 2minute hill repeats in the middle of the run. After breakfast, the second session was an easy 55minute trainer ride just to spin out the legs and clear lactic buildup in the muscles. This will be a fun week, with a local sprint triathlon on…

Glad to hear of your recovery. Sometimes rest is the only option, which is hard for those who like to move as much as you do!

Open water swim with no wetsuit this morning. Did it as a slow, continuous 2900yd swim with no breaks. No push for time, just building confidence towards completing the 4200 yd distance and coming out of the water fresh. Followed with a lunch break, then an easy long run. 1:35:00 duration, 8.75miles. Will start practicing…

Long bike day today. Started very early am with 2hrs done on the indoor trainer, then joined a friend for a 45 mile ride through some rolling hills ending up at his beach house. Indoor/Outdoor total of 5hours on the bike. I wore a backpack to carry running gear, so I was able to do a 30 minute run off the bike. It was…