Longest workout before IM? - Triathlon Week

08-23-2004, 07:09 PM

IronPeople,

What's your longest swim, bike, run workout before the actual IM? And what's
your longest brick? How long before race day?

TIA,

Susan in LA

08-23-2004, 07:09 PM

"Susan in LA" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote

>What's your longest swim, bike, run workout before the actual IM? And
what's your longest brick? How long before race day?<

swim - 4,500 to 5,000 meters up to 2 weeks from the race.
That's a normal interval based workout; I don't do any "long" continuous
swims.

bike - 120 miles no closer than 4 weeks from the race.
My last "long" ride is 60 miles about 14 days out.

run - 20 miles no closer than 5 weeks from the race
My last "long" run is 13 to 14 miles about 18 days out.

brick - 120 miles bike, 3 to 5 miles run no closer than 4 weeks out.
I never run longer than an hour. The longer the ride, the less I run.

Hope it helps.

08-23-2004, 07:09 PM

"Susan in LA" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message news:<2LcLc.9435$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>...
> IronPeople,
>
> What's your longest swim, bike, run workout before the actual IM? And what's
> your longest brick? How long before race day?
>
> TIA,
>
> Susan in LA

Susan--You are doing IMFL, correct? I and my GF are as well. Let's
keep in touch on training. This is our first IM. We did a half-iron in
June. We are working the Training Bible. My E-mail is
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

08-23-2004, 07:09 PM

"Susan in LA" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>IronPeople,
>
>What's your longest swim, bike, run workout before the actual IM? And what's
>your longest brick? How long before race day?
>
>TIA,
>
>Susan in LA
>

I have to admit that I'm a minimalist. I love doing the IM, but
life/work intrudes so much on my training time that I simply can't get
in the miles most folks consider the minimum needed. But I still
finish, which is my only goal. (16 - 16:30)

Still, this might re-assure you by showing how little mileage you can
get away with. <g>

Keep in mind that I'm 56 and a very, very, mediocre athlete. I don't
recover from the longer runs like I used to, so really long runs are
not a good option. Or really long bricks.

I concentrate on shorter, quality workouts, usually combining 2 of the
3 disciplines in a 2-3 hour workout. Shorter bricks, I guess.

My longest swim will be 1 1/2 miles, which I'll do regularly (once a
week) in September. The swim is the easiest part. I obsessed about it
before my first one, but since then, I don't even worry about it.

My longest bike will probably be in the 60 mile range. Several of my
shorter bikes will be fairly intense, though. Multiple repeats over a
humongous harbor bridge, for example.

In the past I haven't run further than 15 miles leading up to it. I'm
going to try to up that a bit this year since I'm also planning to
pace my wife to qualifying for Boston in December, so I need to get my
running up a bit more.

I'll be doing GFT in October, so for me, it's a "Black September." I
do a 3 week taper.

A couple of years ago I did an "easy" 1/2 IM 4 weeks out from GFT as a
last hard workout and felt it was just about perfect timing.

Mike Tennent
"IronPenguin"

08-23-2004, 07:09 PM

Ending at 4 weeks before the event, but continuing for 6 weeks prior,
my longest workouts occur. The Saturday workout is the same for each
of 6 weeks - master's swim practice, 100 mile bike, then a 1 hour run.

"Susan in LA" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message news:<2LcLc.9435$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>...
> IronPeople,
>
> What's your longest swim, bike, run workout before the actual IM? And what's
> your longest brick? How long before race day?
>
> TIA,
>
> Susan in LA

08-23-2004, 07:09 PM

"Ironic" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:38f527b7.0407202016.3574812a@posting.google.c om...
> "Susan in LA" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:<2LcLc.9435$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>...
> > IronPeople,
> >
> > What's your longest swim, bike, run workout before the actual IM? And
what's
> > your longest brick? How long before race day?
> >
> > TIA,
> >
> > Susan in LA
>
> Susan--You are doing IMFL, correct? I and my GF are as well. Let's
> keep in touch on training. This is our first IM. We did a half-iron in
> June. We are working the Training Bible. My E-mail is
> [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Cool! How's the training going? I started from a HIM base and a couple
spring marathons. I'm just this month getting into a rhythm of serious IM
training and it's been rough (physically, and also fitting it around family
time) but I think I'm getting the hang of it. Early morning workouts really
are key for me. Feel free to email me; this address works.

Susan

08-23-2004, 07:09 PM

"Mike Tennent" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...

> I have to admit that I'm a minimalist. I love doing the IM, but
> life/work intrudes so much on my training time that I simply can't get
> in the miles most folks consider the minimum needed. But I still
> finish, which is my only goal. (16 - 16:30)
>
> Still, this might re-assure you by showing how little mileage you can
> get away with. <g>

Always good to know what the minimum is.

> Keep in mind that I'm 56 and a very, very, mediocre athlete.

You can't be that mediocre if you can complete an IM!

> I don't
> recover from the longer runs like I used to, so really long runs are
> not a good option. Or really long bricks.

Same here....and when I get home I have a 4-year-old to keep up with.

> I concentrate on shorter, quality workouts, usually combining 2 of the
> 3 disciplines in a 2-3 hour workout. Shorter bricks, I guess.
>
> My longest swim will be 1 1/2 miles, which I'll do regularly (once a
> week) in September. The swim is the easiest part. I obsessed about it
> before my first one, but since then, I don't even worry about it.
>
> My longest bike will probably be in the 60 mile range. Several of my
> shorter bikes will be fairly intense, though. Multiple repeats over a
> humongous harbor bridge, for example.

I was wondering about that.....if shorter intense hill work can substitute
for longer flat rides.....

> In the past I haven't run further than 15 miles leading up to it. I'm
> going to try to up that a bit this year since I'm also planning to
> pace my wife to qualifying for Boston in December, so I need to get my
> running up a bit more.
>
> I'll be doing GFT in October, so for me, it's a "Black September." I
> do a 3 week taper.
>
> A couple of years ago I did an "easy" 1/2 IM 4 weeks out from GFT as a
> last hard workout and felt it was just about perfect timing.
>
> Mike Tennent
> "IronPenguin"

Thank you!

08-23-2004, 07:09 PM

Thanks all......your replies have given me a good perspective on how to
frame out my training.

Susan

08-23-2004, 07:09 PM

"Susan in LA" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>"Mike Tennent" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
>news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].. .
>
>> My longest bike will probably be in the 60 mile range. Several of my
>> shorter bikes will be fairly intense, though. Multiple repeats over a
>> humongous harbor bridge, for example.
>
>I was wondering about that.....if shorter intense hill work can substitute
>for longer flat rides.....
>
>

Not entirely. What will happen is that at about 80 miles, you'll begin
to deteriorate because you simply haven't gotten the miles in.

Between there and 100 will be really tough physically and mentally.
It's the hardest part of the whole race for me. Once you get to 100,
the finish line kind of drags you on in.

Another thing you might think about is that doing a flat, open course
like IMFL is physically quite different than a climbing course. You
simply don't have any rest on a flat course. It's grind, grind, grind
and it starts to beat on you mentally. I train in it all the time, so
I'm used to it. If you don't have that kind of terrain, you need to
think about the difference and be prepared mentally for it.

Hill training will serve you well, but the IMFL course is a particular
kind of challenge because it is so flat.

Mike Tennent
"IronPenguin"

08-23-2004, 07:09 PM

"Susan in LA" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message news:<2LcLc.9435$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>...
> IronPeople,
>
> What's your longest swim, bike, run workout before the actual IM? And what's
> your longest brick? How long before race day?
>
> TIA,
>
> Susan in LA

Susan, are you here in L.A. or LA.? I am contemplating the same
strategy for racing IM AZ. and thinking about 1/2 IM Oceanside 3 weeks
prior. I think I can do it without too much problems.

08-23-2004, 07:09 PM

"Tacguy" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:9c7922d0.0407260841.39b6ebbb@posting.google.c om...
> "Susan in LA" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:<2LcLc.9435$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>...
> > IronPeople,
> >
> > What's your longest swim, bike, run workout before the actual IM? And
what's
> > your longest brick? How long before race day?
> >
> > TIA,
> >
> > Susan in LA
>
> Susan, are you here in L.A. or LA.? I am contemplating the same
> strategy for racing IM AZ. and thinking about 1/2 IM Oceanside 3 weeks
> prior. I think I can do it without too much problems.

I'm in Los Angeles.

Based on the advice I got in response to this thread, I think an HIM 3 weeks
before should be OK, but not any closer.

08-23-2004, 07:09 PM

"Susan in LA" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in news:eebNc.10484$Nu4.8027
@nwrddc01.gnilink.net:

> I'm in Los Angeles.
>

Oh, so it's not Lower Alabama?

08-23-2004, 07:09 PM

"Tom Henderson" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:Xns9532B202D8183TomH4thBellSouthnet@216.77.18 8.18...
> "Susan in LA" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in news:eebNc.10484$Nu4.8027
> @nwrddc01.gnilink.net:
>
> > I'm in Los Angeles.
> >
>
> Oh, so it's not Lower Alabama?

Not anymore......but I used to live in Mobile.