IM 16 - 17 hours club

Dave The Iron Ex- Spartan

fun ????

Who said anything about it being fun ?

Well go on then perhaps it is

M...eldy

You're not here to enjoy yourselves you know !!!

Soup Dragon

M...eldy wrote (see)

You're not here to enjoy yourselves you know !!!

<runs away> 

Saffers

14 miles run today.  Longest run I have ever done and on my lonesome as training buddy text to cancel as he has manflu.  My mentor advised just taking it easy and getting the miles and not to think on the pace....managed 10.21min miling so happy with that and the run felt good. Not as bad as I was thinking, I was dreading it this morning

thedrainman

Ok, so i'm in this club, Aim this year to finish two IM distance races.
Training on the MB at the moment, running and swimming all going well. I have time during the week to train as well as weekends so no excuses for me.

Managed to get a couple of friends to join me this year with the training, trying to get them to do IM but dont think they will. I need to lose 2 stone over next 4 months to get my fighting weight so Train Train Train

Iron Muffin

This sounds perfect for me and I will be part of the Outlaw Groupetto.

I had a good run of consistent trainig in December and the wheels have fallen off in Jan. Firstly an unwelcome does of flu and then a more welcome ski trip. I made myself turbo last night to get back on the wagon. Only half an hour and it felt dreadful but I was really pleased just to do it.

Fink is very strict about reduced volume and how to re-start your training after a break. Anyone got any thoughts?

Doner Kebab

If you take fink as gospel he already outlines the routine to restart training n otherwise - feck fink and just get training again and ease yourself in and follow the plan when you can. My 2p worth

Dustboy

Wot the food man says. Just don't expect to jump straight back at the old level, takes a week or so to get back up to speed.

Cortina5

Fink recommends binning the race if you're off for a week or more .

Ease back in. 50% first week, something more the next. 

Doubly Bionic Ironwolf

use common sense - if you're off now and your race is still 6 months away just ease back into training and gradually build back up to where you were. If you get sick or injured in the last 6 weeks (heaven forbid) then I'd think seriously about bailing. Or then again not - if you're me!

IronM.in

(You don't have to smile, really, Soupy!!)

At this point, I wouldn't stress too much about getting back on the plan - as the others wise 'uns have said, ease in gently and go by how you feel.

Dustboy

I was out for 8 weeks sick in 2009 in May/June. OK, so I was 3/4 of an hour outside cutoff on the bike so run got binned but I don't think it was a bad effort!

I wouldn't concern myself with up to a fortnight off personally. But I wouldn't recommend it as advisable either.

Soup Dragon

Evening gang - welcome to muffin top (take it easy) and drain man.

Cat5 in the Hat wrote (see)

Fink recommends binning the race if you're off for a week or more

blimey!

 

IronM.in wrote (see)

(You don't have to smile, really, Soupy!!)

Depends how many photographers are on the course.

I did a swim today. Or rather a few floaty drill things for my TI lessons.  I'm in the middle of losing my old stroke but not finished learning the new one yet so full stroke swimming is temporarily feeling harder.  I'm assuming thats a good thing because I'm obviously changing something. My teacher says not to worry.  So everyone says not to worry! Maybe I should start to listen.

Saffers

Don't worry Soupy, all will be fine.

Darkness

Just reading Ironwar and there is an interesting analysis on what makes us want to do Ironman. If I can badly paraphrase it is because we wish to feel superior to our neighbours and that is the feeling we strive for as we cross the finish line, the euphoria of being better than others. The more we suffer to get there and the harder the journey, the greater the euphoria.

There is certainly some truth in that.

So suck it up and relish the suffering and hard times a they will make that finish line all the more sweet. If it were easy everyone would be doing it and there would be no satisfaction to be gained!

Here endeth the lesson!

Darkness

My comment above was in response to the previous comments on whether it is fun or not, but I can't get the quote function on Safari.

Doner Kebab

Is that the same book that Allen and Scott have taken to court over the fictitious writing

Darkness

Yep, but a good read all the same!

Golden Boots

I have just started reading it as well... about 100 pages so far and I must admit Fitzgerald does a really good job in glamourising it and making it sound like a holywood story! Good read so far though...

Cheerful Dave

Darkness wrote (see)

Just reading Ironwar and there is an interesting analysis on what makes us want to do Ironman. If I can badly paraphrase it is because we wish to feel superior to our neighbours and that is the feeling we strive for as we cross the finish line, the euphoria of being better than others. The more we suffer to get there and the harder the journey, the greater the euphoria.

Isn't that what they used to say about marathon running?

Doner Kebab

Yea. 6 months training is definitely delayed gratification

Darkness

Cheerful Dave wrote (see)

Darkness wrote (see)

Just reading Ironwar and there is an interesting analysis on what makes us want to do Ironman. If I can badly paraphrase it is because we wish to feel superior to our neighbours and that is the feeling we strive for as we cross the finish line, the euphoria of being better than others. The more we suffer to get there and the harder the journey, the greater the euphoria.

Isn't that what they used to say about marathon running?

Indeed - but when doing a marathon became "normal;" you no longer felt better than everyone else having done one so you needed something more - Ironman. That is Fitzgerald's hypothesis anyhow and it makes sense to me.

fat buddha

and it's probably why there's a growing interest in ultras - the next challenge

Golden Boots

I can honestly say that this is the exact reason I did my first marathon at 18 and have done a few more since, and as this then was not enough I stepped up to Ironman. I am already thinking about 2013 as I think I will probably want to try something 'tougher' - though I know that going this way is a bad direction because realistically I may run out of motivation for doing this kind of stuff by the time I am 27! I don't want the desire and enjoyment to burn out but I want to keep racing, and I have found that I am often unmotivated for shorter *easier* stuff

Cheerful Dave

Darkness wrote (see)

Cheerful Dave wrote (see)

Darkness wrote (see)

Just reading Ironwar and there is an interesting analysis on what makes us want to do Ironman. If I can badly paraphrase it is because we wish to feel superior to our neighbours and that is the feeling we strive for as we cross the finish line, the euphoria of being better than others. The more we suffer to get there and the harder the journey, the greater the euphoria.

Isn't that what they used to say about marathon running?

Indeed - but when doing a marathon became "normal;" you no longer felt better than everyone else having done one so you needed something more - Ironman. That is Fitzgerald's hypothesis anyhow and it makes sense to me.

Does he explain why the need to do something more means going longer rather than going faster?

IronM.in

I have to say that I find the concept of doing anything so you feel superior to others is a bit distasteful, and that is most definitely not why I do this or anything. In fact, I am still to get that feeling of superiority or greatness or feeling like I can conquer Poland before breakfast, in spite of the various races I've done, good and bad!

fat buddha

"to do something more means going longer rather than going faster?"

curious you should say that DD as this year my plan is to try to get faster at shorter distance tris - sprints and Olys. it's a big ask with my advanced years and size, but it's something new to focus on.

I think the key for many of us though is that we keep challenging ourselves - all of who have done or are doing IM (keep this thread on subject ) relish some sort of physical challenge and that's why once you've been there, done it a few times, got enough crap t-shirts etc, then you look for a new challenge, or perhaps return to some old ones.

Darkness

Cheerful Dave wrote (see)

Darkness wrote (see)

Cheerful Dave wrote (see)

Darkness wrote (see)

Just reading Ironwar and there is an interesting analysis on what makes us want to do Ironman. If I can badly paraphrase it is because we wish to feel superior to our neighbours and that is the feeling we strive for as we cross the finish line, the euphoria of being better than others. The more we suffer to get there and the harder the journey, the greater the euphoria.

Isn't that what they used to say about marathon running?

Indeed - but when doing a marathon became "normal;" you no longer felt better than everyone else having done one so you needed something more - Ironman. That is Fitzgerald's hypothesis anyhow and it makes sense to me.

Does he explain why the need to do something more means going longer rather than going faster?

I think because speed can require natural (genetic) ability but toughing it out for longer is available to us all if we are prepared to suffer for it.

mikasa

Hats of to anyone and everyone who do IMs,marathons etc...(I'm just planning to do my first sprint tri) but it is very interesting question over quantity rather than quality. Is it easier to go longer rather than faster? As we all now as runners/swimmers/bikers/weight losers, the last bits of improvement are always the hardest to gain. I don't know but I'd like more discussion on this. (Btw,love all the IM threads, maybe, maybe on day....;))