Posts Tagged Ironman Training
Race Strategy: Surf City Half Marathon
Posted by Adam Ainbinder in Race Strategy, Running on February 6, 2010
Tomorrow is my first race since the MCM marathon at the end of October. I’m excited. This is a very low priority race for me, which means no taper, but it did fall within a rest week (meaning only 7.5 hours of training – wow, real restful), so I feel fresh relative to past weekends. I’m really looking forward to this. My running has been much faster since I switched to forefoot running, so this will be a good test to see if I can keep up some of this speed for 13 miles.
I haven’t done too many runs beyond 8 miles (two that I can count) in the past few months because of blisters from switching the landing spot on my foot, but given the endurance work I’ve done on the bike AND that I’ve put in 20-30 miles of running a week each week for the past few months, I think I’ll be ready. I’ve done a lot of speed work, tempo runs, and drills to improve my running, and I have seen a noticeable improvement in my pace. My 8 mile runs have been in the low 7 minute range, and when I push it, it’s been in the high 6s.
I feel like I could bring the 7 min/mile barrier tomorrow, but I’m not going to try to do it as a goal given the low priority status of the race. This year is all about endurance and triathlons, so that is my focus, but of course, it’s a race, and it’s not easy to, well, take it easy. I must be somewhat careful though since I have a century ride next weekend in Palm Springs.
I don’t have much experience in the half marathon category. My history in half marathons: one. I did the OC half last year, and I did a 1:39:52. One thing that is cool is that this will be my first race as a Brooks ID member. I’ll be sporting Brooks shirt, shorts, and shoes (the Ravenna’s, which are also known as AA – funny, my first/last initials – WOOO). I’ll try to post pics later! I love my brooks stuff. And although I like my launch shoes better, I still don’t feel comfortable doing a long race in a neutral shoes, and that’s why I like the Ravenna’s mild support (FYI – i’ve been in stability shoes forever, but now that I’m doing more forefoot running, I can handle neutral shoes without much pain).
So with that being said, here’s my strategy:
- 13.1 miles doesn’t seem difficult anymore. With 80 mile bike rides and 3 marathons under my belt, I’m not nervous about the distance. However, I still want to treat it with my usual race prep. I plan to leave at 6:30, so I’ll get up at 5, eat, walk the dog, move around a bit, and drink LOTS of water. I’ll have some bread with peanut butter on it. And hopefully have 2-3 bathroom visits before departure
- I plan to warm up by running from the drop off spot to the starting line. Mix it up with some strides but most of it will be an easy jog.
- I’m carrying a water bottle filled with cytomax. No GUs, no Clif Blocks. That should get me through all 13.1 miles so I don’t have to stop for water/food.
- I plan to start in wave 1 (<1:50), which I imagine may be crowded since a lot of people will be in this group.
- I’ll go out at about 145 heart rate or 7:10 pace. That is generally my heart rate at that pace. It may be higher from the crowd, so if it is, I’ll let pace dictate where I stand. If I do get in the first mile at around 7 min or a tad less, that’s ok, but I want to settle in at that heart rate and pace after mile 1
- I hope to keep up that pace until mile 9. At mile 9, there is a straight away for the next 4.1 miles with a slight elevation gain. If I’m feeling good and not too tired, I’m going to start pushing it. If I can, I’ll do it progressive style, increasing about 10 seconds per mile for the last 4 miles.
- If I can stick to the strategy, I should be somewhere between 92-95 minutes. That would be awesome
Of course, I’m not running on rested legs, especially after my rolling hills simulation on my trainer today, but I’ve achieved similar paces on tired legs, so I might as well give it a go. If I can’t keep up the pace or bonk in the last 2 miles, then hopefully I can beat my PR of 1:39:52.
Good luck to everyone running races this weekend, and if you’re in Surf City and see me running by, wave and say hello 
Training Ruminations: Base 2.3
Posted by Adam Ainbinder in Training Ruminations on January 6, 2010
Walking the dog - frequent workout
I want to get back to my weekly ruminations post, and although I’m already into this next week, I wanted to provide a quick wrap up of my activity last week. It was one of the better weeks working out that I’ve had in a while, so I wanted to share the good and the bad. This was the peak of my base period, and I felt it was a good one (12 total hours, 145 miles).
It was my first full week blister free on the run. It felt so good to be on my forefoot without worrying about blisters developing (see pic below, if u want, of what I’ve been fighting). As a result, I was able to run fast at low heart rates. I haven’t pushed the distance past 8 miles in a while, but I got in 5 runs, 4 at about 7 miles and 1 1-miler after a long bike ride. Pace was about 7:15 overall, and my heart rate was at or under 140. I think I need to do some tempo runs maintaining higher heart rates for longer distances, and if I can accomplish this, I think I’ll feel comfortable pushing faster speeds in 10ks and half marathons with higher heart rates (i love that aerobic zone, not so much the anaerobic zone). I did one interval run last week on the track (3 x (4 x .25 miles) with one minute rest in between), and I swear, that stuff is making me so much faster.
I swam for only an hour. It was a good endurance swim (10 x 200 with long drill of warmup, 45 seconds rest in between, and a decent cooldown – learning this is way too much rest) focusing on drills and body rotation, but I wish I swam more. My goal is to do 2 hours in the pool every week. If I can do more, great, but I just don’t enjoy it as much as running or cycling. Investing in some underwater headphones may help, but we’ll see. I am noticing improvements in my stroke with these drills, and my times are coming down. I’m not as worried about endurance for my 70.3 in a few months as I was for my first tri as swimming for an hour isn’t a big deal anymore.
Cycling…oh cycling. If there will be one major area of improvement for my Ironman this year, it will be cycling. That is my focus for 2010 training. I did my longest ride ever last week. A 70.4 mile ride down PCH to the power plant past San Clemente and back. It was a great ride, averaging over 18 mph. I focused a lot on cadence, trying to keep it north of 90 most of the time, but also switching it up with higher gears. My neck and shoulders really started to hurt around mile 55, and I think I just need more time in the saddle on longer rides for that to heal itself! I was sore as hell on Sunday, which really impacted my weekly load since I could only squeeze in an hour run.
I also did some an interval ride on the trainer mid week, and I really attribute my pedaling improvements to these workouts. I sometimes focus on trying to achieve 80-90 cadence in high gears, and other times I try to keep it over 100 cadence in fairly high gears (big ring but lower gear). The other rides were casual recovery rides.
I also got back into pilates (one hour – other). YAY for pilates. It makes my body feel so much better. I’m trying to do the foam roller more frequently, but that thing HURTS!
This week is a recovery week, so no interval or tempo work. I hope to get in about 6-7 hours. I have a 12k trail race on Saturday with Cale that I’m excited about, but other than that, expect low intensity all week with a drop in mileage across the board. I’m also starting the 100 pushup challenge. Excited for that! The build period begins next week, and I’ll be back to intervals, tempo and endurance at that point.
Here is a pic of the blister(s) I’ve been fighting. That’s the good looking foot
Changing a flat
Posted by Adam Ainbinder in Cycling, Ironman Training, Training Tips on August 14, 2009
always a thing to worry about if you’ve never done it before (which I haven’t). Great video from active on how to change a flat tire!
San Francisco Marathon: day before
Posted by Adam Ainbinder in Ironman Training, Race Strategy on July 25, 2009
It’s 6:17 AM the day before the SF marathon. In less than 24 hours, I’ll embark on that lovely 26.2 mile adventure that feels fine for about 18 miles, and then is an absolute struggle for the last 8.2 (yes, that .2 matters cuz it’s so damn painful at that point in the race).
I was talking to a friend last weekend about the strategy in a marathon. It’s very different than the strategy of a half marathon because there is so much more distance to cover that you usually don’t practice in your training runs. And for those who don’t run, yes, there is a plan of attack.
For example, tomorrow I would like to break 3:40. I think it’s a very achievable goal in a marathon for me, but this one may be tough because I have jet lag from my trip this past week to Germany AND this course is not an easy one (SF = hills). Plus, because of this taper period of lowering mileage in the last 3 weeks, I feel generally inadequate. Fortunately that is mental!
So I have to debate what event wave to start in, the starting pace, the mile 7 through 17 pace, and at what point should i feel comfortable speeding it up. Suprisingly a lot of factors to consider. Plus there are the dietary factors like should I drink electroytes on the run, what to eat 2 days prior, do I take goo, walkig through water stations, etc..
So here’s what I’m thinking…i can go out at 820 pace and maintain that pace the entire time for a 3:38 to 3:39 marathon. My 20 mile training run was just over this pace, an all long runs other than my 20 miler were under 8:20 pace. If I feel good, I pick up the pace. If not, I don’t beat my time. Only concern here is my lack of rest from jet lag and totally dying in mile 20-26.2. I’ll walk through water stations, drink water at EVERY station, take salt pills every 6 miles, and drink electrolytes
The hiccups: bathroom stops, walking through water stations, or getting behind a group of people on the golden gate bridge that slow me down (tight lane there).
I guess I just have to hope for the best! Worst outcome is I don’t meet my time. Guess there are worse thIngs in life. Time to get up and hit the race expo so I can waste more money on running stuff I don’t need!
Training: Week whatever
Posted by Adam Ainbinder in Ironman Training on June 17, 2009
I’m in week whatever of training because I have no schedule. I need to sign up for one of these Ironmans, and then develop a full schedule. Right now, my training is geared towards the SF Marathon, which is on July 26th, so I’m not putting enough focus on cycling, swimming, or multi sport training. At this point, I think I’m going to do the St. George Ironman in Utah next May. I’ll figure it out this weekend. I can then develop a full weekly schedule, and I figure serious training will begin about 35-40 weeks from the start of the race.
Last week, I built up my running to 34 miles in the week and added 55 of biking. I was pretty stoked with the workout, particularly the long run on Saturday. I pulled off 16 miles ascending well over 1000 feet in 810 minute miles. I was just happy that my body recovered quickly. I wasn’t really that sore at the grad party I went to on Saturday or graduation the next day. This week, my goal is to get up to about 37-38 miles running. I was only able to cycle once this week because of graduation, and I got in 35 miles today.
Over the next three weeks, I’d like to maintain at least 35 miles of running a week, and if possible, break 20 miles on a weekend long run. In training for my first marathon last year, I never got past 19, and I could really feel it in the race. I think by getting past 20 and adding significant cross training with the bike should help avoid the wall that most marathoners hit at about mile 22. HOPE is the key word there as it seems impossible to avoid that wall!
So today I realized the benefit of drafting. I was riding behind these two guys on the way home from work, and I just flew by them (it was into the wind). Next thign I know, both guys are riding my ass but never passed me. I realized then I was the wind block and they were benefiting. So after dropping off my bag, I cycled to the beach, and on the way home, got behind this couple that was going about 22-25 mph. They were flying. Part of this stretch was into the wind. I got behind them, and I was amazed how much easier it was to ride. But what’s the etiquette? I mean at some point, I’m assuming you have to switch, right?
Ok, that’s it for this week’s training recap. We’ll see what happens this weekend.
Training: Week 1
Posted by Adam Ainbinder in Ironman Training on May 27, 2009
Ok, i will assume this is my first week of ironman training, or at least first documented week. It’s been a challenging one. This past weekend, I ran 17 miles, biked 51 on a 2500 ft ascent, swam for 45 minutes, and did 5.5 miles of speed work yesterday with push ups, pull ups, and sit ups to finish it off.
Today, well, today is a day off. A well deserved one. But when I get obsessed with working out, these days off feel like a step back. Nevertheless, the rest days are probably the most important days of the week (from what I read). My muscles need it to rebuild from the damage inflicted over the previous few days. Active.com says that it takes about 2 weeks of inactivity to start losing what you have achieved. So what’s one day ?
Today i have serious shin splints. Tomorrow I plan on doing more speed work in the morning. I think though, how will I do it with the pain I feel today? I feel like this is the ongoing dilemma of training, and I’ll probably write about this over and over. I think a key point of training is learning to work through pain. Know your body’s limits, and push through it if you’re able. When your body screams stop, stop. But if it’s simply pouting, work through it.
I’ve also been hungry as hell lately. My god. I swear I ate a total of about 5 meals yesterday. I guess this makes sense given that I burned over 5k calories with just my two workouts on the weekend. But it’s weird eating almost twice as much as usual and still feeling hungry.
And I guess I need to get used to being more tired from weekends then my week at work. Mondays are brutal, and with the difficult, intense work weeks, each day just gets harder. I will need to change my sleep patterns to figure out how to recover.
So many things to consider when changing your training regimen to about 10 hours a week. I wonder what 15 hours a week will bring?
Weekends – not the same anymore
Posted by Adam Ainbinder in Ironman Training on May 23, 2009
The weekend will not be the same for the next year. That’s a sacrifice I have to make if I want to continue with this training. Today, I woke up at 730 AM and ran 17 miles. My goal pace was 8:15, and I did 8:14, so I was pleased. Tomorrow, I plan on biking 50 miles. I remember when I trained for my first marathon last year, I would run 17 miles and not be able to walk for the rest of the day, have to sit in the pool, and often have to take a nap or sit on the toilet for the rest of the afternoon (too much info, but this blog is brutally honest).
I think I’m in better shape because I feel like I can do this ride tomorrow. And soon, I’ll have to do that ride before the run. Crazy when I think about it, but that’s what an ironman is (except almost double the distance + swim )
Anyways, the weekend is now different. I need to get up early both days to get my workouts in before it gets too hot. That usually means a tame evening the night before with healthy food and little alcohol. By the time Saturday night rolls around, I’m pretty tired from the 2-3 hours of working out that morning. Without a nap, it’s pretty tough to energize to go out. So when they say Ironman is a commitment, it’s not just a training commitment. It’s a way of life.
I’m sure I’ll ask myself throughout the year is it worth it? I mean, when you finish the ironman, all you get is the achievement of finishing an ironman. No money. No fame. No glory. Just the fact that I know I completed a monstrous task. I’m sure sometimes it will be worth it, other times not. But at this point in my life, I have no doubt that the answer is yes.
So this week, I put in 50 miles of riding and 30 miles of running. Next week, I’ll do a bit more biking and a bit less running. I’d like to keep up the 30 miles a week of running for the SF marathon on July 26th. I think I’ll be prepared, as long as I do the appropriate speed work during the week and distance on the weekends.
I think the key in doing this training is listening to my body. If my body tells me to stop, I need to stop. If it says stretch, stretch, etc….Incrementally adding to my workouts is best…not drastic increases in mileage or decreases in speed. If I stick to the plan, then the 50 mile ride, 20 mile run in a day won’t be a problem. And hopefully in a year, 2.4, 112, 26.2 will be possible!
10 PM on a Saturday night. Time for bed so I’m ready for my ride tomorrow. Good night everyone!
ironman, why????
Posted by Adam Ainbinder in Ironman Training on May 21, 2009
I’ve decided to document my training for my first ironman. I’ve looked around for people documenting their training to learn what works, what doesn’t. To hear the stories of pain and enjoyment. To learn from other’s actions. But there aren’t too many out there. I did find a few good ones though that I’ll start following, but tribuddy hasn’t been updated in a while (Victoria Schlosser‘s seems solid).
Both of the about me sections of these two blogs do a great job of explaining what would push someone to do something as crazy as swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112, and running 26.2 miles. And yes, that .2 matters…it’s literally hell on earth.
For me, I want to push my limits. I want to prove to myself that I can do anything, even something I originally shot down as impossible. And I want to learn to enjoy the journey. I’ve always been about the results, and for once, I want to enjoy the process more than the outcome. That is my goal. So when I think about times, qualifying for Kona, finishing, etc…, i just want to run a good race. I want to feel confident going in that I can do my best because I’ve gone through the process and believe that I can do it.
I’m training for one of two ironmans: the st. george ironman in Utah in May of next year or the Arizona Ironman in November. I want to do the St. George ironman, but there are hills, and frankly, the distance alone is enough to scare me, why torture myself with elevation. But when I think about it, one of my strengths is going uphill, so why not use that to my advantage. So in my mind, May 2010 will be my first ironman.
I started training about 2-3 months ago. My training focused more on marathons, but I added cycling and recently added swimming. I’m doing about 8-10 hours of training a week right now. I’m running about 25 miles and biking about 60. Some weeks more, some weeks less. When I get into full swing, I plan on running about 30 miles a week, swimming a mile or two, and biking 150. Full training will be about 17 hours a week.
I run hard. They say that you should slow down by about 2min/mile from your marathon pace on long runs, but I’ve had trouble doing that. I run about 730 pace when its under 13 miles, and 8 min pace beyond that. I’ve been cramping (stomach), so we’ll see how long I can keep up that pace for.
I also bike pretty hard, but I want to get stronger and faster. I currently ride at about 18 mph when i go less than 2 hours, and about 15-16mph at 2 hours +. I’d like to comfortably do 18 mph for 100+ miles.
Swimming will hopefully be one of my strenghts. i swam for 8 years or so as a kid, and I think i can handle 2.4 miles. We’ll see though. You just never know.
The thought right now of working this hard is actually soothing. I find training to be a way for me to clear my mind and enjoy who I am. I feel great when I’m on the road with my music, taking in the views. It’s like meditation for my mind, except my body hates me.
So I’ll document the good, the bad…the bodily function breakdown, the nutrition, the heat, the cold, etc… I’ll give you the full story, and you can decide whether you’d like to join me on a similar journey one day in the future.
I leave you with this…in Run Fatboy Run, Hank Azaria states that he likes to run marathons, to which Simon Pegg responds, “Why?”. I’m sure many of you are thinking the same thing…maybe my journey can answer that question!
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