Stupid me, I signed up for steelhead Half-Iron in August the day after I ran my first sprint tri (I guess I had the bug) and before I realized I had to move halfway across the country. Now I am at a new job and have way less time to train and no one to ride with, so longer rides are really hard to get motivated for. I am doing a sprint on July 29 and steelhead is the next weekend. Is this ok? Can I basically call the sprint my speedwork for the week?
Also, I am commuting to work, and its only about 14 miles round trip- but with a backpack and running from angry Nebraska motorists I actually get a pretty decent workout. Can I count these miles towards anything?
Lastly, can a person do a HIM on 8k a week in the pool, about 20 miles running and 80 or so miles (counting commuting) on the bike? I guess I need to know how much I need to step it up (and soon!).
You all have been mucho helpful in the past. I appreciate it.
lilscotboy
06-13-07, 09:56 AM
thats a tough one, it really depends if you want to just finish or be competitive.
I'm also doing steelhead this year, stepping up from three years of olympic distance.
Here's a snapshot of my schedule
3xswimming with a masters swim team (7k yrds weekly)
3xbiking (2 shorter rides, sunday is my long effort - total about 120 miles pw)
3x running (2 shorter runs around 5 and 7 miles, saturday is my long effort around 11+ miles - total 23+miles pw).
It's not too dissimilar to yours, but i'd try and get some long rides in to acclimatize to 3 hours in the saddle.
I've been in the endurance building phase doing this for about 8 weeks now, next week sees me move into a speed/quality phase where the mileage changes, but some tempo and speed work comes in....
assuming that my visit with the doctor goes well that is, as I had a bit of an IT band flare up on my long run this weekend
francismacomber
06-14-07, 08:11 AM
Hehe, a mid to back of pack finish is all I am really looking for.
good luck with the IT band, I had about two weeks of it earlier this spring- not fun.
Did you find a place to stay in Benton Harbor? I am told that the hotels are beyond being full and Michigan City, IN is the closest place.
lilscotboy
06-14-07, 09:46 AM
what did you do about your IT band, because the doc i went to was a waste of space? i'm just resting it for this week, no running, replacing it with the bike and icing after each session.
yeah, thanks for turning me on to the issue with the hotels....hadn't realized that it would be that bad....guess i'll be driving the 10 miles to the event on the morning
francismacomber
06-14-07, 01:06 PM
Well, I had some pain early this year as I moved from indoor treadmill running and basketball to outdoor running (not to mention I have 2 herniated disks, so I hadn't run much) and I think it was just a matter of running too many miles too early for me. Some ibuprofin and slowing down was all it took, but I didn't have it very bad at all- maybe slightly more than a minor annoyance- or, not as painful as my back is everyday so I lived with it. Purely anecdotally, but it seems like when I do my riding with my knees in as much as possible, my legs hurt less. Then again, I am a supinator, too, so maybe it's just because my feet are in the plane that they want to be in when I ride with my knees in.
Hey francis, did you sign up for the cornhusker state games yet? If you sign up online you get a $2 discount!!!!!
francismacomber
06-15-07, 07:55 AM
Yup, I can't wait. I've done a couple tris so far but have yet to do one with an actual open water swim. Hopefully I can redeem myself after making some pacing mistakes at Norfolk last weekend, too. Is that your next race or you doing any before then?