Pix - don't take four weeks off and lose the fitness and momentum you have gained, focus on Full Boar and start training - a good race there will set you up for Outlaw training next year.
K9 - you kicked it! Well done.
Ali - I'm rather black and white and quite straight talking so not everyone's cup of tea but if that approach will suit you I'll happily be on the end of an email for you - pm me if you want to chat about it further.
Good luck with the interview Matt.
If you think you can or you think you can't you're probably right.
EP - so sorry to hear that it didn't work out for you at the weekend, I've been lurking and following your ups and downs on various threads and know you've put a lot of effort in
Definitely try not to lose the fitness - I lost all fitness and motivation since Outlaw last year and am furious with myself for it so please don't fall into that trap
Good luck and I know you'll get your iron distance under your belt sooner rather than later
I will say tghis only once again.for slower people .Fink is way too light on the bike miles..........yiu have to do more.....
great to see so many newbies get their first ironman medals..........so sorry to those who didn't..ben there its not nice but you need to reevalualte and see what to do
It might mean more training for some and some smarter training....others might just need to tweak and have better luck..............for some others who have been struggling to fit the training into their busy lives you might need to realy ask yourself is this the right time in your lives to do.........or maybe wait a few years...........if you can't rearrange work and family to fit in around the training then you are just setting yourself up to fail again........
To the guys that didn't complete yesterday, don't feel too bad, they were bloody hard conditions out there yesterday, I don't think I've felt that hot on a bike.
i think Fink (apart from the need to be a fish to complete swim sessions) is Ok but you have gotta do the sessions used it for my first as i was clueless and knew noone who had done it so i did 98% of the sessions and came in well under my expected time on a tough course ( the first Sherborne) that said when I PBed I biked like a maniac everywhere
finks bike hours are 4 and 5 hours............if you are cycling at 12 -14 miles an hour then those are way too short for your long bike sessions......
It just ain't gonna work if you are that speed and do those hours.even if you do evry session..
if anyone slower here did the fink long bikes as they were and managed to finish yesterday i will eat my hat........and will be happy to be proved wrong.........but personally i can't see how it is possible
There are also the turbo sessions which improve your speed if you do them as prescribed Seren. I think that RBM is right - it's more about hitting all of the sessions. I based my training on Fink's intermediate for the first full distance with a few (maybe three) longer sportives thrown in for peace of mind and I hadn't even owned a road bike before starting so no biking fitness to draw on.
If you think you can or you think you can't you're probably right.
I see what you are getting at Seren but slowly biking stacks of miles is just going to make you great at going slow for a long time, people chasing cutoffs need endurance for sure but they need to raise their their average speed to take them out of the dnf zone
My training rides were all 13-14 mph (until I tapered!), and even a 5 hour ride would only have got me to 60-70 miles.
I definitely needed to know I could do the distance.
So much of this is confidence and mind games, and I wouldnt have managed 112 on the day if I'd not done 90-110 milers in training.
That said, I probably did end up doing too many and definitely reached a point where all I was able to do was churn out slow bike and run miles. I couldn't entertain the idea of intervals/ efforts/ tempo type stuff.
I think that we're arguing the same point to be honest. If all you're doing is slow rides then doing lots of six hour ones (can't do much more than that every couple of weeks at most surely) would still leave you well short of the distance. I tend to take the view of working on speed during the winter (when the turbo is almost appealing and you don't want to be outside for long so do 1 - 2 hour rides on a heavier bike - in my case mtb or hybrid) then adding the endurance as the weather improves. My coach would have me doing regular five hour rides but nothing much longer (and that would only be around80 miles for me) but I feel the need for a century or two even five years after my first full distance. It's a confidence thing with me definitely.
If you think you can or you think you can't you're probably right.
for what it's worth as a newbie that got pulled off the bike sunday you are both right, it's a mixture of endurance and speed.
I know that I can ride 100 miles did it a couple of times in training, the problem bit for me was the 70-90 mile rides on a regular basis. Up to 50 miles happily averaging 15.5/16mph then as it get longer it gets slower.
So my plan is to build over winter and concentrate on the 70-90 mile rides so that they are comfortable in z2 and at 15.5/16mph.
Then it's just swimming all f/c and managing a run!!
At least I got a big reality check and know what I need to work on.
This is for anyone out there who didnt complete the event on Sunday
In 2011 i entered IM Wales - I quit, the swim went badly and i asked a canoe to get me out. I failed I quit, I didnt miss cut offs, i just didnt have the heart
In 2012 I entered Outlaw - I completed in 12.53
In 2013 I entered again - I completed in 12.46
Without that huge disappointment of failure I wouldnt have tried so hard in 2012, to know how it feels to not finish will only make you stronger and more commited.
If the bike was your downfall this year (it seems this is where most fell short), get yourself a turbo, nothing like bashing a session out in the garage while theres snow on the ground in the cold winter months.
I know what it feels like and i know how you were feeling, just use those feelings you have now, they need to be your motivation to come back stronger
May well have been, I was walking with quite a few people but mostly Doner. I started with intention of 4:1, this changed to 2 run:30 secs walk, which changed after about 8 miles to a lot more walking.
Comments
Pix - don't take four weeks off and lose the fitness and momentum you have gained, focus on Full Boar and start training - a good race there will set you up for Outlaw training next year.
K9 - you kicked it! Well done.
Ali - I'm rather black and white and quite straight talking so not everyone's cup of tea but if that approach will suit you I'll happily be on the end of an email for you - pm me if you want to chat about it further.
Good luck with the interview Matt.
LMH - yeah, kicked it's ass
EP - yup, as above, focus on wild boar. I'll hopefully be doing it again too.
Anyone up for a long term mentoree (sp?)
After the success of mentoring Blue Peter who then beat me at Outlaw, more than happy to offer some help, message me if interested!
SA, I'll take you up on that offer when I get the sign off for the next long distance. If it's still going.
EP - so sorry to hear that it didn't work out for you at the weekend, I've been lurking and following your ups and downs on various threads and know you've put a lot of effort in
Definitely try not to lose the fitness - I lost all fitness and motivation since Outlaw last year and am furious with myself for it so please don't fall into that trap
Good luck and I know you'll get your iron distance under your belt sooner rather than later
He comes highly recommended! Many words of wisdom that helped me along the way.
I will say tghis only once again.for slower people .Fink is way too light on the bike miles..........yiu have to do more.....
great to see so many newbies get their first ironman medals..........so sorry to those who didn't..ben there its not nice but you need to reevalualte and see what to do
It might mean more training for some and some smarter training....others might just need to tweak and have better luck..............for some others who have been struggling to fit the training into their busy lives you might need to realy ask yourself is this the right time in your lives to do.........or maybe wait a few years...........if you can't rearrange work and family to fit in around the training then you are just setting yourself up to fail again........
To the guys that didn't complete yesterday, don't feel too bad, they were bloody hard conditions out there yesterday, I don't think I've felt that hot on a bike.
Seren
i think Fink (apart from the need to be a fish to complete swim sessions) is Ok but you have gotta do the sessions used it for my first as i was clueless and knew noone who had done it so i did 98% of the sessions and came in well under my expected time on a tough course ( the first Sherborne) that said when I PBed I biked like a maniac everywhere
Sure you're not getting him confused with Mrs SA??
finks bike hours are 4 and 5 hours............if you are cycling at 12 -14 miles an hour then those are way too short for your long bike sessions......
It just ain't gonna work if you are that speed and do those hours.even if you do evry session..
if anyone slower here did the fink long bikes as they were and managed to finish yesterday i will eat my hat........and will be happy to be proved wrong.........but personally i can't see how it is possible
There are also the turbo sessions which improve your speed if you do them as prescribed Seren. I think that RBM is right - it's more about hitting all of the sessions. I based my training on Fink's intermediate for the first full distance with a few (maybe three) longer sportives thrown in for peace of mind and I hadn't even owned a road bike before starting so no biking fitness to draw on.
Now you mention it...**ducks for cover**
I see what you are getting at Seren but slowly biking stacks of miles is just going to make you great at going slow for a long time, people chasing cutoffs need endurance for sure but they need to raise their their average speed to take them out of the dnf zone
Ducks are useless for cover ....
I think you need endurance before you need to worry about speed........but i'm sure they can complement each other............
even if yoiu do lots of speed sessions.if your long bikes are only 60 miles then you are going to be always near the broom wagon.....
I surrender
I'm definitely with Seren.
My training rides were all 13-14 mph (until I tapered!), and even a 5 hour ride would only have got me to 60-70 miles.
I definitely needed to know I could do the distance.
So much of this is confidence and mind games, and I wouldnt have managed 112 on the day if I'd not done 90-110 milers in training.
That said, I probably did end up doing too many and definitely reached a point where all I was able to do was churn out slow bike and run miles. I couldn't entertain the idea of intervals/ efforts/ tempo type stuff.
Seemed to improve when I tapered though..
A good taper is worth loads K9.
I think that we're arguing the same point to be honest. If all you're doing is slow rides then doing lots of six hour ones (can't do much more than that every couple of weeks at most surely) would still leave you well short of the distance. I tend to take the view of working on speed during the winter (when the turbo is almost appealing and you don't want to be outside for long so do 1 - 2 hour rides on a heavier bike - in my case mtb or hybrid) then adding the endurance as the weather improves. My coach would have me doing regular five hour rides but nothing much longer (and that would only be around80 miles for me) but I feel the need for a century or two even five years after my first full distance. It's a confidence thing with me definitely.
Geese any better? Although the saying doesn't have the same ring...
for what it's worth as a newbie that got pulled off the bike sunday you are both right, it's a mixture of endurance and speed.
I know that I can ride 100 miles did it a couple of times in training, the problem bit for me was the 70-90 mile rides on a regular basis. Up to 50 miles happily averaging 15.5/16mph then as it get longer it gets slower.
So my plan is to build over winter and concentrate on the 70-90 mile rides so that they are comfortable in z2 and at 15.5/16mph.
Then it's just swimming all f/c and managing a run!!
At least I got a big reality check and know what I need to work on.
That sounds like a good plan TJ.
This is for anyone out there who didnt complete the event on Sunday
In 2011 i entered IM Wales - I quit, the swim went badly and i asked a canoe to get me out. I failed I quit, I didnt miss cut offs, i just didnt have the heart
In 2012 I entered Outlaw - I completed in 12.53
In 2013 I entered again - I completed in 12.46
Without that huge disappointment of failure I wouldnt have tried so hard in 2012, to know how it feels to not finish will only make you stronger and more commited.
If the bike was your downfall this year (it seems this is where most fell short), get yourself a turbo, nothing like bashing a session out in the garage while theres snow on the ground in the cold winter months.
I know what it feels like and i know how you were feeling, just use those feelings you have now, they need to be your motivation to come back stronger
Well said JCD
We missed each other again this weekend
I said hello a couple of times on the run and watched you beaming with pride when you finished with Jordy
JCD was it you who I ran/walked with on my first lap of the lake with another guy, I think you were on your second lap?
May well have been, I was walking with quite a few people but mostly Doner.
I started with intention of 4:1, this changed to 2 run:30 secs walk, which changed after about 8 miles to a lot more walking.