Ironmen don't wear board shorts.
It's a fact, you can tell the who is serious about their swimming and who is just there for a good time. We triathletes are a specific breed, we like to be in control even though we are often at our limits, and we like our kit! A quick look at any shop that sells triathlon gear and you will note there is a premium price associated to anything that weighs slightly less, is slightly newer, or is slightly more aerodynamic. Also, any time you see a triathlete training or racing, you will probably note, we are quite happy to pay this premium. (often regardless of aesthetics, seriously, no one looks good in a tear-drop helmet!)
Therefore, it goes without saying, as you begin to reach the pinnacle of this sport, the Iron distance triathlon, you also need to shed you inhibitions and ditch the boardies for a pair of speedos. You need a top notch road bike for your long rides, it's time to get serious.
I agree, signing on the line for my Ironman Melbourne spot was also a time to get serious about my training. I realised I needed to put in the hard yards now to ensure I get the outcome I want on race day. Crossing that finish line is reportedly an experience of a lifetime and yet, every time the starter sends off another horde of hopefuls there are a number among them that wont be there at the finish. Some will succumb to exertion, others will miss a crucial cut-off time during the race, and some will arrive at the finish, yet outside the allowed time. I am determined to get my moment, therefore, it is time to step up. Getting serious basically means lots of extra training time, many more hours in the pool, on the bike, pounding the pavement and, heaven forbid, weight and flexibility training.
However, I also have to maintain a full time job and spend time with my family (for some reason, they still enjoy my company...?) and, as much as I'd like to dedicate more of my time to achieving this goal, my spare time can be limited. How can you fit this increase in training load into a week that is already packed with a 40 hour work week, many hours getting kids ready for school, homework support and weekend social activities and time to just be there and be involved with the family?
Quality is the key.
As a time-crunched age group athlete, we don't always have the luxury of quantity when it comes to available training time, therefore, we need to rely on quality time. Know what the goal of your session is, work to that end and ensure you are ever mindful of your technique. Don't waste the precious asset of time on junk miles, make every session count. This also applies to time away from training, time with the family is also quality time, don't just sit there mucking around on the laptop blogging... oh, crap...
A short time time later;
OK, good night kisses exchanged and kids tucked into bed, chai latte delivered, hot water bottle filled and wheat pack reheated the wife is rolling over for a night's rest. Back to the blog.
It also helps to be a little creative and disciplined with your training to ensure you can eek out as much time as possible. An set of interval during lunch anyone?
When I started to think about how I was going to tackle the available time issue I made some decisions that may seem to contradict the norm for a long distance athlete. If the race is going to be tough, I figured, the training should be tougher. For a number of years I have done the majority of bike training on my commuting bike, one I have blogged about in a previous post. Initially this was for convenience, if the bike was already at the office, it was easier to ride it to the beach combo session then go home and bring out the race bike. Sure, the "Trekenstien" is much heavier than the full carbon Felt tribike, and certainly, the rolling resistance of its 26" mountain bike slicks is no where near as slight as the 700s, but I soon realised, that's the point. If I can push that extra weight through my training sessions without the benefit of silky smooth tyres and the best technology they can produce in a $3000/hour wind tunnel, I'll be flying on race day when atop the super bike. When placed side-by-side, my two bikes have very similar geometry. The handle bars, bottom bracket (where the cranks attach to the bike) and saddle all line up pretty well, the main difference is the aerobars. By training on the workhorse I am effectively incorporating resistance training into each session and hopefully getting a higher intensity workout without sacrificing time or technique.
Since I began this approach I have taken my bike to three training camps where it kept company with many pretty serious and super-light road bikes. We covered largely the same terrain on those trips and did some serious climbing each day and got so much value from each one.
This is a concept I also began to use with my open water swim sessions, foregoing the luxury of a wetsuit most of the time. If I can get through the chop and swell of the open water in my swim suit, I'll have no trouble on race day with the added buoyancy, warmth and aquadynamics that the wetsuit provides.
Quality is key, but quantity is also important, 17 hours is a long time to keep moving forward. This is where a little creativity comes into play. To get the most out of my week I am now commuting more often under my own power. Wherever possible, I will get places I need to be on foot or on my bike. If you see me out somewhere during the working week, chances are good that I rode, ran, or walked to get there. This way I am sneaking in a few extra sessions each week.
The above roughly outlines the approach I have adopted to help my get my backside from Point A in Frankston to Point B in St Kilda next March. There is, however, one new tool that I have added to my arsenal. Along with my pull-buoy and hand paddles that I take to each swim set, I now also have my knee length board shorts. Bright green and black, a size (or two) too big and tightly cinched at the waist via the drawstring, sexy they are not. They may not be the latest fashion and, in a lane full of driven triathletes, they may look out of place and they sure do make it difficult to swim - and that's the point.
This week gone by was another build week on the program.
I clocked up over 135km on my heavy bike, over 80 laps in the pool in my "heavy" shorts, and more than 45km running (and let's just say my body continues the theme...) and all of it was earned the hard way. It's still early days and I expect I will need to find many more hours to build and maintain the required fitness but I also anticipate, I will continue to include more value into the time I do find to train, between all of my other commitments.
I still have my full-time job (an achievement in itself some would say!), I am still making time to be with my family, and I will continue to wear my board shorts!
It may be true that Ironmen don't wear board shorts, but, maybe they should...
It's a fact, you can tell the who is serious about their swimming and who is just there for a good time. We triathletes are a specific breed, we like to be in control even though we are often at our limits, and we like our kit! A quick look at any shop that sells triathlon gear and you will note there is a premium price associated to anything that weighs slightly less, is slightly newer, or is slightly more aerodynamic. Also, any time you see a triathlete training or racing, you will probably note, we are quite happy to pay this premium. (often regardless of aesthetics, seriously, no one looks good in a tear-drop helmet!)
Therefore, it goes without saying, as you begin to reach the pinnacle of this sport, the Iron distance triathlon, you also need to shed you inhibitions and ditch the boardies for a pair of speedos. You need a top notch road bike for your long rides, it's time to get serious.
I agree, signing on the line for my Ironman Melbourne spot was also a time to get serious about my training. I realised I needed to put in the hard yards now to ensure I get the outcome I want on race day. Crossing that finish line is reportedly an experience of a lifetime and yet, every time the starter sends off another horde of hopefuls there are a number among them that wont be there at the finish. Some will succumb to exertion, others will miss a crucial cut-off time during the race, and some will arrive at the finish, yet outside the allowed time. I am determined to get my moment, therefore, it is time to step up. Getting serious basically means lots of extra training time, many more hours in the pool, on the bike, pounding the pavement and, heaven forbid, weight and flexibility training.
However, I also have to maintain a full time job and spend time with my family (for some reason, they still enjoy my company...?) and, as much as I'd like to dedicate more of my time to achieving this goal, my spare time can be limited. How can you fit this increase in training load into a week that is already packed with a 40 hour work week, many hours getting kids ready for school, homework support and weekend social activities and time to just be there and be involved with the family?
Quality is the key.
As a time-crunched age group athlete, we don't always have the luxury of quantity when it comes to available training time, therefore, we need to rely on quality time. Know what the goal of your session is, work to that end and ensure you are ever mindful of your technique. Don't waste the precious asset of time on junk miles, make every session count. This also applies to time away from training, time with the family is also quality time, don't just sit there mucking around on the laptop blogging... oh, crap...
A short time time later;
OK, good night kisses exchanged and kids tucked into bed, chai latte delivered, hot water bottle filled and wheat pack reheated the wife is rolling over for a night's rest. Back to the blog.
It also helps to be a little creative and disciplined with your training to ensure you can eek out as much time as possible. An set of interval during lunch anyone?
When I started to think about how I was going to tackle the available time issue I made some decisions that may seem to contradict the norm for a long distance athlete. If the race is going to be tough, I figured, the training should be tougher. For a number of years I have done the majority of bike training on my commuting bike, one I have blogged about in a previous post. Initially this was for convenience, if the bike was already at the office, it was easier to ride it to the beach combo session then go home and bring out the race bike. Sure, the "Trekenstien" is much heavier than the full carbon Felt tribike, and certainly, the rolling resistance of its 26" mountain bike slicks is no where near as slight as the 700s, but I soon realised, that's the point. If I can push that extra weight through my training sessions without the benefit of silky smooth tyres and the best technology they can produce in a $3000/hour wind tunnel, I'll be flying on race day when atop the super bike. When placed side-by-side, my two bikes have very similar geometry. The handle bars, bottom bracket (where the cranks attach to the bike) and saddle all line up pretty well, the main difference is the aerobars. By training on the workhorse I am effectively incorporating resistance training into each session and hopefully getting a higher intensity workout without sacrificing time or technique.
Since I began this approach I have taken my bike to three training camps where it kept company with many pretty serious and super-light road bikes. We covered largely the same terrain on those trips and did some serious climbing each day and got so much value from each one.
This is a concept I also began to use with my open water swim sessions, foregoing the luxury of a wetsuit most of the time. If I can get through the chop and swell of the open water in my swim suit, I'll have no trouble on race day with the added buoyancy, warmth and aquadynamics that the wetsuit provides.
Quality is key, but quantity is also important, 17 hours is a long time to keep moving forward. This is where a little creativity comes into play. To get the most out of my week I am now commuting more often under my own power. Wherever possible, I will get places I need to be on foot or on my bike. If you see me out somewhere during the working week, chances are good that I rode, ran, or walked to get there. This way I am sneaking in a few extra sessions each week.
The above roughly outlines the approach I have adopted to help my get my backside from Point A in Frankston to Point B in St Kilda next March. There is, however, one new tool that I have added to my arsenal. Along with my pull-buoy and hand paddles that I take to each swim set, I now also have my knee length board shorts. Bright green and black, a size (or two) too big and tightly cinched at the waist via the drawstring, sexy they are not. They may not be the latest fashion and, in a lane full of driven triathletes, they may look out of place and they sure do make it difficult to swim - and that's the point.
This week gone by was another build week on the program.
I clocked up over 135km on my heavy bike, over 80 laps in the pool in my "heavy" shorts, and more than 45km running (and let's just say my body continues the theme...) and all of it was earned the hard way. It's still early days and I expect I will need to find many more hours to build and maintain the required fitness but I also anticipate, I will continue to include more value into the time I do find to train, between all of my other commitments.
I still have my full-time job (an achievement in itself some would say!), I am still making time to be with my family, and I will continue to wear my board shorts!
It may be true that Ironmen don't wear board shorts, but, maybe they should...
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