I was blown away by the thoughtful responses to my post last week. It was really interesting to see that people picked up on so many different aspects of it. I even had a couple of folks send me thoughtful emails. So here were the takeaways-
1) I will feel lousy in training in the week after a vacation, so shouldn't make any really important decisions during that time.
2) Having said that, I've been thinking along these lines for several weeks now. It's also consistent with my overall training beliefs.
3) It's critical that I enjoy what I'm doing.
4) I need to throw down a GREAT race in Budapest. And have fun doing it.
5) A change in the future is probably a good idea- at least for several months- starting after Worlds.
6) Sprint triathlons, because they are still about 60 minutes, can't be considered true sprints- there is still an endurance component.
7) Doing sprints takes much less training time, involves more intensity, and is more fun.
So now what? Tomorrow I start the new routine. It's pretty much what I laid out last time, except I'm moving the Wednesday swim to Thursday. That will be my only double of the week. Last Friday, I didn't work out in the morning, just a noon swim. And guess what? I had all sorts of energy, swam much faster than earlier in the week, and had staying power to do the entire workout as planned. Funny how that works. By the way, the main set was a good one-
12 x 2 min- 4x150, same times (1:52ish); 1 min rest; 4x125 descend (1:36 to 1:33, not great); 2 min rest with a 50; 4x100 hard, holding the same time (1st 3 were 1:10, #4 was 1:08). I still have a long ways to go, but it felt good.
Yesterday I rode with three others who are way over my head, including Bob and two guys from OA. It hurt at times, but that's how you get better. The hills were ridiculous. They absolutely left me far behind. At one point, I was side by side Scott going the same speed. He was at 280w, about 30 below FTP, and I was at 300, about 25 above my FTP. So it took more work in absolute and relative terms to go the same speed. I guess that means it comes down to body weight- I'd guess I'm about 10 lbs. heavier. I don't think anyone would call me overweight, however. I read a story that said the best climbers in the world weigh 2 lbs. per inch of height. That means I need to lose about 30 lbs. Yeah, right. Maybe I just need to find a course that's all downhill. By the way, the Budapest course is flat.
Polarbear sprint on Saturday. The goal is to have fun. I hope I can remember that as I chase and get chased. It'll be great to see everyone again.
Thanks again to those who responded last week. It helped!
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Have a great race at PolarBear!! I can't wait to see how it goes down. Wahoo! First sprint of the year! Yes, a sprint isn't really a sprint. True true true. I got that comment too.
ReplyDeleteI would have to lose 7 lbs to get to that weight. That may not sound like much, but when you are short, 7 lbs is HUGE. I would be knocked over by the wind at the weight. 2 lbs per inch? WOW.
Anywyay--fun to read about your shift in thinking and training. AND I love the idea of a sprint series, though I may not be able to do it exactly this year with IM...
Okay. Brain fart on my part. I was thinking 2 pounds for every inch --but starting at 100 lbs, which is how they measured in the old days. The thinking then was 5 lbs for every inch above 100 lbs.... Am I making sense?
ReplyDeleteANYWAY--the scale must be different for women? Because at 62 inches that would mean I should be 124 lbs, which would mean I should GAIN significant weight. That doesn't make sense. So there must be a different way of measuring for women.