well done to all those people who did IM Kona. Boy do i wonna go there!
Since my training is a bit awry at the moment I thought I would review what I aim to do in a standard week.
Monday
Rest day with option for extra swim or run p.m. if not too tired after days work
Tuesday
45 min bike into work and 45 bike home then a 2hr block (usually long run)
Wednesday
a.m. swim if pool open (no lights in winter)
p.m. 1 hr run whilst me children do their swimming club
Thursday
a.m. 2-3 hr bike including interval sessions
currently modified to be 2 hr run then 40 min hill session
p.m.
swim if possible (sometimes late at work so pool closed)
Friday
a.m.
swim in summer
p.m.
second long run if possible(1-2.5 hrs depending on where I am in training)
Saturday
4-6 hr bike
Sunday
1hr swim
1hr run
In general i usually miss one of the 3 swims and one of the runs depending on what is happening at work. this means I have to be flexible and keep reworking my schedules.
This generally works well and meshes with all my other roles and time commitments. By keeping to the same strict routine I can achieve a regular 12 hr week of training with potential to increase this at peak times. It does not however lend itself easily to changing up sessions especially in winter when it comes to getting the extra swimming in unless I find a new venue for swimming which would come at a time cost per swim. This time could theoretically be out to better use elsewhere in my training week should I have the necessary discipline, experience tells me this is unlikely.
In general I try to rotate through 3 swimming sessions (steady state swim say 45-60mins non stop, long intervals say 10 x 200 as main set, and short speed work including 3 x 4 x 100 on long rests). In winter I am usually less discipline with my swimming and try and do differen sets to keep the interest up).
Running has been done for the last year at goal race pace for IM e.g. 8 min/miles for most of it. Speedwork seems to leave me injured, see current 2 week gap in run training following first 10km for a year!
Bike is done again a lot harder most of the time than those I occasionally train with. If I have a 4 hr ride I will do it pretty much at a pace that is the wrong side of comfortable. And that is basically what I have done for the last 2 years with a few modifications.
The big question is can I do it any better. Well I am sure with more time I could do more but that is not an option. Perhaps I could do more focus each week on different disciplines but again I am not sure that would do more for my training.
Looking back my best running has been achieved after a winter of consistent running and my best bike was this summer and came from a good base but then a few key sessions prior to IMCH (which were IM lanza, a few 100 mile rides where I just felt good and some solid thurs morning rides). I have yet to achieve a best swim!
In general it takes about 8 weeks to get me into the groove, once there I can start to ramp up the hours a bit. However being a fulltime dad and doctor there are limits to the fatigue my work and family can put up with. I probably use my perceived fatigue, especially when it comes to days when I lose any desire to train, as an indicator of where my training limits lie.
Now I think if it get it right, hold the weeks together without injury, then a full 16-20 week build up to IMDE should see me going faster than ever.
