Is a sub 10 hour Ironman possible.....

Is a sub 10hr IM possible, training less than 10 hours a week for less than 10 weeks.... With no significant base????

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Training week 9/12-9/18

Monday- Swim masters 60 minutes. 
Tuesday- Swim masters 60 minutes, started feeling sick the rest of the day
Wednesday- Sick all day
Thursday-Sick all day. 40 min tempo run that evening.
Friday-Swim masters 2,600m 45 minutes, Yoga- 60 minutes
Saturday- Easy swim 30 minutes (mainly drill) Yoga- 60 minutes
Sunday- Bike 2hrs/Run-60 minutes.  Yoga - 60 minutes


Swim- 3:15
Bike- 2:00
Run- 1:40
yoga- 3:00

Week Totals
9:55

Training week 9/5-9/11

Monday- a.m. masters swim, 3,100m = 60 minutes.  Left from the pool for a 90 minute trail run.  covered about 12 miles.  2nd run of the day was road.  13 miles 1hr 40 minutes.

Tuesday- easy drill based swim=15 minutes.  8-5-4-3-2-1 Dead lifts & squat cleans. = 20 minutes

Wednesday- Swim masters- 3k = 50 minutes. 

Thursday- 1:45 bike @ H.I.M. pace followed by 75min run (7:40 pace)

Friday- CF met con 4 rounds 15-55lb Kettlebell swings, 50 step ups, 15 pull ups.  = 18 minutes

Saturday- Tour de Fat in Denver.  Don't know if I want to list this as "training"

Sunday-  Birfday!!!  planned a long ride.... ate biscuits and gravy instead.  Lot of TV watching!!


Swim- 2:05
Bike- 1:45
Run- 4:25
Strength- :38

WEEK TOTAL
8:53

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Training week 8/29-9/4

Monday- Bike 2 hrs at HIM race pace followed by an easy 15 minute transition. 

Tuesday- Swim with local masters group.  I got it handed to me!!!  that may have something to do with my complete lack of swim training lately.  I did about 2,500 of the 3,200m set.  45 minutes total.
 Crossfit workout in the evening 3 rounds of 500m row, 25 box jumps (24" box) 25 Kettlebell swings (55lb bell)  12 minutes.

Wednesday- Swim, mainly drills with a 4x200 at IM race pace.  20 minutes
Brick around Noon time..Bike- 60min/Run-60min

Thursday-Rest

Friday- 20 minute hard threshold run

Saturday- 2.4mi open water swim, no wetsuit 1:10
Bike- 2hrs 45minutes

Sunday- 4 rounds of... 5-95lb squat snatch, 5 muscle ups, 20 kettle bell swings.  Time- 12 minutes

Totals:
Swim- 2hrs, 15 minutes
Bike - 5hrs, 45 minutes
Run- 1hr, 35 minutes
Strength- 24 minutes

Total week training
9 HOURS, 59 MINUTES!!!

Training week 8/22-8/28

I decided to program a week straight of "Hero" workouts.  These are typically intense crossfit workouts that are usually 2-3 times the duration of a typical CF "WOD"

Monday- "Forrest"  with weight vest.
3 rounds of 20 L-Pull ups, 30 Toe to Bar, 40 burpee, 800m. run.   Total time 32 minutes

Tuesday- "MaGee" with weight vest
As many rounds as possible in 30 minutes of..... 5-275lb dead lifts, 9 push ups, 12 box jumps (24"box)  12 rounds completed.

Wednesday- "Double Murph" with weight vest
Run 1 mile, 100 pull ups, 200 push ups, 300 squats, 2 mile run, 100 pull ups, 200 push ups, 300 squats, 1 mile run.  Total time 1hr 14 minutes.  This is where things get a little excessive..... One of my very best friends, Jess Fisher showed up to do this workout just as I was finishing.  I still felt good so I decided to do the first run mile with him (Without the vest this time).  As we finished his first mile (my 5th) I still felt good, but there was NO WAY I was going to do any more Pull ups!!!  I spent the duration of his (100/200/300) on the watt bike at 220 watts (about 20 minutes).  As soon as it was time for Jess to send off on his 2 mile run, I went with him.  When Jess began his second round of 100 pull ups, 200 push ups, & 300 squats I returned to the Watt Bike for another 20 minute go at 220watts.  Then finally ran Jess' 4 mile (my 8th) with him.  I believe my mile times broke down like this......
1-6:27
2-8:10
3-7:15
4-7:55
5- 7:30
6- 7:55
7- 7:30
8- 7:25
Keep in mind I was wearing a 20lb weight vest for the first 4 miles.

Thursday- This was intended to be another very challenging "Hero" workout.  I gave myself a little too much in the 4 previous days and conceded to a rest day. 

Friday- 90 minute trail run followed by an easy 20 minute recovery swim, open water.

Saturday- "Beer Mile"  Drink a beer, run 400m.... repeat 4 times.  Typically I would really get after this event, however, I was happy to enjoy a leisurely 7:58 time.

Sunday- Intention was a long ride..... let's just say those weren't the only 4 drinks I had on Saturday evening!!!   Ride-postponed until my "Flu-like symptoms" dissipate. 

Week Totals...
Swim- 20 minutes
Bike- 40 minutes 
Run-  2 hrs , 40 minutes
Strength- 1 hr, 30 minutes

Total Training time-  5hrs, 10 minutes

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Training week 8/15-8/21

Monday- Nada
Tuesday- 5x12 Front squat & Straight leg dead lift - 15 minutes  /  Bike - 60 minutes
Wednesday- Nada
Thursday- Run 40 minutes
Friday- Run- 60 minutes, recovery swim following 15 minutes open water
Saturday- Nada
Sunday- Bike 3:45 minutes/Transition Run 15 minutes/ Recovery swim 10 minutes

Week Totals
Swim- 25 minutes
Bike- 4 hours, 45 minutes
Run- 2 hours, 5 minutes
Strength- 15 minutes

TOTAL- 7 Hours, 30 minutes.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Race report

Despite my recent elevated stress levels and inability to train effectively I decided to forge on and show up to the Mountain Tropic 70.3 put on by BBSC Endurance Sports   This was the first year of this particular event.  The turn out was small but I have no doubt that given the beautiful venue and expert race crew, this will be a VERY popular event in the years to come.

Before heading to northern Utah I stopped off to see my hommies at Jack Rabbit Bike and Trail / Full service as always they had my bike tuned to perfection with fresh new bar tape.  I do not typically wear gloves when I train or race, but the Lizard Skin tape that Dave through on felt very close to having a pair of padded gloves on!

I drove 8 hours on Friday morning.  When I arrived at the expo, I was informed that the crew was in need of a body marker.  I gladly took the role.  Marked bodies from 2-8p  then picked up a couple of tall boys of PBR on my way to spend the night in the back of my truck at the race site. 
I awoke to the pleasant sensation of needing to release about 2 1/2 pounds of solid waste! (I can always tell it is going to be a good race if I have to go immediately upon waking up)  After going in a very non designated area I set off to try to sneak my bike into transition before anyone else arrived.  NO LUCK!  you would think batting my eyelashes to the volunteer coordinator would yield special treatment....
Oatmeal consumed, second dump taken, tires pumped and I am ready to get this thing going!
Small race = only one swim wave.... which I am a HUGE fan of!

I settled into an easy grove immediately.  I took up residence behind a pair of barley kicking feet and stayed there for well over a mile.  I wasn't trying to prove my fitness at the swim, it didn't make sense.  I believe I came out in 9th, moved through a handful of bucket users to find myself in 4th overall at the start of the bike.
I passed someone within the first 2 miles of the bike.  The next set of hips that I encountered was that of female Pro Malaika Homo who had a crushing swim!  I hung out 3 bike lengths back for about 7 miles, taking in nutrition and the view (it was a very pretty lake)  at the first turn around I noticed that the 1st and 2nd place males were 1:10 up on me.  I can't explain it, but I felt GREAT.  Maybe it was the Lizard skin bar tape, maybe it was the PBR, maybe it was that I just didn't care.  I went for it!
I caught the leaders by mile 30 and passed with ease.  By the second turn around I noticed that one had come with, he was about 30 seconds back, but the 3 man was down well over a minute.  I wanted to turn it on here big, but begain to fade over the last 4 miles.  I was first off the bike, setting the new bike course record at 2:15:06 
I moved through T2 easy enough but could tell immediatly that I didn't bring my run legs.  I was passed by mile 5 and was content to hold onto my 2nd place overall male finish.

After the race I hung out and helped the BBSC crew break dow.  (I had NO DESIRE to get back into my car and drive 8 hours back to Colorado!!)  GREAT group of people.  I will be recomending their races to everyone I come across.  In fact, I have decided to add the Boulder Sunset Olympic to my calendar because it is put on by this company. 

Again, great race venue put on by a great company with plenty of food and drinks post race!!!

Training 8/8-8/14

Monday- 25 minute open water swim
Tuesday- Nada
Wednesday- Nada
Thursday- 20 minute open water swim/ 25 minute bike brick
Friday- Nada
Saturday- 70.3 race.  31 minutes swimming, 2:15 bike, 1:45 run
Sunday- nada

Week training total
Swim- 1hr 6 minutes
Bike- 2 hrs, 40 minutes
Run- 1hr, 45 minuts

TOTAL- 5hrs, 31 minutes


This is NOT an effective taper!   I was in the process of moving this whole week which did not allow me to do many of the pre-race training sets that I normally would.