Special training ... costs vs benefits

Got an email from Iron Heart Fitness about their ERG training series -- basically a coached series of training rides on the Computrainer. It would be good for me, but not sure how much more money I can spend on this stuff now. I've committed to the EN OS plan, so would like to see that through.

There's also the Studio Energi spin classes, both the short weekday morning and longer weekend rides, that would help ... it's tempting to just run between these things. I think that would be a bad idea though, right now -- I suspect I would hate training by the spring, or I would be have purchased a Computrainer or something. To be honest, I'm waiting for one of the many people I know who went out and dropped $1600 on a Computrainer to decide that they're not really into triathlon anymore in a year and maybe get one cheap.

I think I'm in a place now where I just have to do the work in the OS plan over the winter, and then see what sort of place I'm in come March at the end of the plan.

Swimming going well

I need to work on my form, maybe I can get one of the fast guys to point out things to work on. Not getting a lot of sleep due to boy's 9 hour sleep maximum.

40 is the new 20

At least, according to the New York Times it is. For triathletes. And according to the article, as a middle-aged triathlete, I have a median salary of $175,000 / year, and spend $22,000 of that on triathlon gear.

I eagerly await the cheques that will start arriving to remedy the clear disparity in my income from the norm ...

More bike intervals .. learning to go hard

I do all my indoor training in my basement now, on my KK Road Machine, watching old Hawaii Ironman and spinervals. As the EN OS plan is gearing up (2x6min@z4, 2x15min@z3), I find I really need to work to get my HR up, at least on the first set.

I'm glad I did those spin classes at the studio, I think that's the best value from an instructor lead class, to learn how to go hard (I still wince at the memory of 6 minutes of 20s sprints). In a perfect world, I'd have the budget to do my own training and go to spin classes. Oh, and a pony.

Supposedly legs day off

Except that boy needed to be taken to school and our car is unavailable ... so that means hooking up the Chariot (CTC) to the Surly (Cross Check) and going for a 25 minute time trial. Hammered there, realized it was wind assisted. The cruel corollary was a headwind with a 40lb boat anchor on the return. Eschewing triathlon tradition, I didn't take any gels or salt tablets.

Rest day

No karate tonight. The boy is in full on crazy mode and there was grocery shopping to be done...

Oh, here's a picture of me winning 2nd in my AG at the Oktoberfest 10k here in Waterloo (the dude on the right is the coach of the triathlon squad I train with  -- Jeff Beech).

Long day ...

Good swim this morning, 12x100 1:30 pace on 2:00, plus a million meters of off-stroke. I'm enjoying hearing that I'm punishing my colleagues in Lane 4 :) though I'm sure they'll catch up to me in the next month.

Started my EN OS plan today, did the LTHR test (40 min hard) on the bike. Not working hard enough yet. My LTHR HR is around 155, this was 142.

Then yoga... my legs are shelled. Rest day tomorrow (possibly karate tomorrow evening).

Today was not rest day

40:16 in the Oktoberfest 10k. Missed my goal, but PB'd. VDot of 51.5, which means more pain in the coming weeks trying to run those z4 intervals at 4.01min/km.

2.5km splits were something like 1: fast (9:45), 2: slower (10:15), 3: about the same (10:15), 4: slightly faster (10:00) .

Yesterday was Rest Day

Oh, got bumped up last week to lane 4. Swimming harder now, getting better.

Tomorrow is the Oktoberfest Run in Waterloo. Sub-40, this is my dream. Maybe with some puking, I can do it. If I can hold 9:45 for the first two 2.5km splits, I'll have a shot (a very long one).

Monday is the start of my Endurance Nation outseason (OS) 20 week plan in preparation for the Ohio Triple T race.

Next 5 months ...

Going to follow the EN OS plan, getting some short runs in when needed with the dog.

2011 Season

AmZof / TripleT / savageman? Which one? ... Ohio Triple T gets the nod.

Purchased the EN outseason intermediate ... going to work with BarryP's run plan from ST. So I'm mixing high-intensity, short duration bike workouts with lower volume, greater frequency running (1:2:3) .