Yesterday's information, today....
Training:
31 minutes on the treadmill, 6.3 mph, 3% incline.
Nutrition:
2 nutri-grain bars, 1 can of ensure, 2 BBQ beef sandwiches, Anniversary Chicken and Vegetables (creadted by Smokin Hot Wife, and delicious- mix of ranch, teriyaki, bacon, and cheese).
Today's information, Today:
REST DAY. I slept weird on my back, and it's bugging me today... Smokin Hot Wife got me a heating pad, though! I love this woman. Seriously.
Nutrition:
1 nutri-grain bar, one can of ensure, steak quesadilla, taco, bowl of granola, and a couple starburst (yup, halloween candy).
In the hopes of being slightly more interesting than the usual menu and treadmill routine, I got some inspiration for material today... I get Triathlete magazine in the mail (SHOCKER!!!), and I have seen a couple articles in the last few months on training for an Ironman. If you haven't seen an issue of Triathlete, it's honestly a lot like Cosmopolitan. While Cosmo is a monthly digest of CRAZY SEX THAT WILL ROCK YOUR WORLD and HOW TO LOSE 483 DRESS SIZES IN 12 MINUTES, Triathlete is just a bunch of ways to train for Ironman. But, I like it.... There are just enough differences in the articles every month to keep it pretty interesting, just like crazy sex and weight loss. :-)
Anyhow, back to Cosmo... I am not a pro triathlete. If you didn't know that, please see my lunch for today (quesadilla and a taco). So, I don't have 40 hours a week to train. Now that I am a daddy, and balance that with being a husband and an employee, time for swimbikerun is not quite as plentiful as when I started this stuff.
So the articles that jumped to the front of my mind were about training for an Ironman in LESS time than is considered customary... In general, that is about 20 hours a week for upwards of 4 months in advance of the race. For me, it has maxed out around 18 hours a week, but for 6 months. In a focus on quality over quantity, some plans advocate around 10 hours a week.
Now, I don't know that I can only do 10 hours a week, as I certainly don't possess the same physical gifts as other athletes... But it got me thinking. What if I scaled back the training volume, and did more short/intense efforts? That would be a BIG change, as I really enjoy the endurance work (swim and run, I tolerate the bike).
I am no stranger to mixing up training, as I've done it the last 3 years. My first race, I focused almost exclusively on swimming for 2 months. On my 2nd race, I added in a 70.3 in Florida as a warm-up, and did 100% of my bike training indoors (I didn't ride outside until I showed up to the race). Last year, I did about 90% of my training on bike/treadmill, and almost all of that was indoors (Seattle sucks for winter riding outside).
So, do we scale back some of the endurance effort? Honestly, I don't know... I do this because I enjoy the process, and frankly, the 3 hour training runs, the 75 minute swims, and even the 6 hour century rides, are theraputic. Working them in, along with all the other training sessions, is a fun challenge. It makes me squeeze the most out of every day, and I like how that has worked out, and the perspective that it brings.
But if you look at my race times... Well, maybe a little speed work is warranted. :-) I can't think of anything you can do athletically where 14 hours is considered "fast," and Ironman is no exception!
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