Ben's Mentor Group w/ Google Hangouts! ***CLOSED*** (Page 2)

Looks like we have people of all types of varying levels, goals, experiences, this will be great from a diverse background but the challenge will be finding topics to cover everyones needs/wants. Hopefully you can all get something out of these posts.

Since we are starting a new season and new year I thought now would be a good time to copy a post I wrote earlier about the details of what to do for A, B, and C races. As we all know have a schedule for the most part set we can better understand what our goals are for each race, how to train going in and out of these races as well. So here you go…

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Many people organize their race calendar and divide their races into "A", "B", and "C" level races. Each of these categories or priorities places a different emphasis on the race and priority level. However, when it comes to these races many people do not know what to do, how to train going in, or even forget that C level races are not meant to have you have a peak performance or a PR.

So what type of races should be prioritized as "A", "B", and "C"?

The shorter the Better
For your “C” and “B” races the shorter the race the better they fit into the plan. Longer races generally take a bit more rest coming in, and a bit more rest coming out of. As a general rule of thumb your body requires a day of rest for every hour raced, so you can see how quickly adding distance puts more recovery after the race. Keep these races short so you can continue with your training immediately.

"Going to the Well" is for your A race
Have you ever heard of the term "Going to the well"? There is a saying that goes "never do anything in training that will sacrifice your following days training." I believe this to be very true and many times people think those "epic" workouts trump the day in and day out grind. But you are only as good as your next days training. If you go to the well in a race that puts you in a training hole after, how beneficial was that effort in the long-term? Add to this that you can only “go to the well” so many times in a year. Doing this requires A LOT of physical and mental energy and rest after, so save these for you’re a races when you need it most, your “A” races.

Working on your weakness
“C” level races are a great chance to focus on and work on your weaknesses. Because they are a low priority race you are not risking much but can gain a lot, low risk, high reward. Instead of looking at the overall result of the race look inside the result of the race to gauge your performance. Are you a bad at swim starts? This would be an excellent chance to work on your swim starts. Struggle with heavy legs on the first few miles of the bike? This is an excellent chance to try a new strategy. Get nervous before the race? The more of these small races you do, the more you can more those uncomfortable and unnerving moments more comfortable. These races are great chances to work on your weakness with little investment or time away from your plan.

Save the PR's for the “A” races
Many athletes always define the success of their race if they get a PR or not. If you are racing a “C” or “B” priority race do not expect a PR unless you haven't raced that race or distance for a few years and your general fitness has increased over time. Having PR's at races of these levels usually means you are peaking too soon before your “A” race and your performance may suffer in your “A” race. These “B” and “C” races will have you racing fatigued and/or on short to no rest, so manage these races as key sessions instead and look to use this races to see if you are on track for a peak performance going into your “A” race. These races are also great ways to see if any final adjustments need to be added to your training plan in you last block/s of training going into your “A” race.

It's supposed to be FUN!
If you do not race much, or have very high goals set for your “A” race, use your “C” and “B” races to break out of the day in and day out routine of your training. Throw out all expectations and learn to enjoy the simple reasons why you love to compete. This is a great chance to have some fun and be a bit more social. Yes you can be laser focused before and during the race, but keep the mood a bit more at ease, it will help break up the monotony of training that sometimes builds in everyone. Part of having a successful plan is to have one with balance and a sustainable outlook. Keeping it fun with these races will allow for the balance and sustainability to occur long-term.

How do I train and execute these races?

C-Races
These races should be considered simply as a training day, with the added benefit of timers, volunteers and spectators around to help and encourage you. You should not be fresh and not looking for a "peak" performance. Most of these races are placed in training blocks, so training into and out of a "C" race is normal i.e, you can train hard the days leading in and out of the race, with minimal to no rest. “C” level races are similar to key sessions in your training week. Please be aware though that these races should NOT substitute a key session for the week, the principal of specificity applies and your key sessions will have more specific work for your “A” race then a “C” level race will. “C” races are good to have as fun races after the season is over, or to early season fun races to get back into the racing routine and familiarize yourself with the environment.

B-Races
This is where it gets bit more complicated and misunderstood by many athletes, this is that “grey area” many struggle with. Training going into these races should allow for a bit more rest then a “C” level race, but you should still be able to train right out of these races, starting the next day. The longer the distance the more recovery required before resuming training, but no “B” race should take you away from your training too long, remember how your training shouldn’t sacrifice the days ahead? These are great chances to use for "simulation" going into you’re “A” race, test your bike setup, hydration/nutrition strategy, pacing goals, power numbers, etc. If you are doing an Ironman a HIM is a great “B” race typically 4-8 weeks out depending on how seasoned an athlete you are.

A-Races
These are your goal races for the year. These are your peak-performing races. Most athletes can successfully train and rest for 1-2 of these races per year, 3 for more seasoned athletes, or those not doing the high distance of Ironman racing. When building a schedule for next season you need to be careful in how and when you select these races. Ideally you don't want these races to be closer then 2-3 months together, and no further then 6-7 months apart. Too close together and you wont have enough time to recover from the first race and build into the next appropriately, too long and your body might start to break down from the long season of training before you toe the line at your second “A” race. When scheduling these races, schedule them at a low stress time of the year, so you can put as much attention and focus on that race as possible without life getting too much in the way.

I hope that by reading this you can have a bit more understanding to the "why’s" and "how’s” of the races you put on your calendar for next year and when those races come up you remember the goals going into each race.

I will be offline all of tomorrow, but will try and play catch up a bit Tuesday and be back on Wednesday. I will be spending about 99% of my time here in the mentor group on BT.

Have a great start to the week!

Good article Ben.

I have 3 A races for the year.

River Bank Run - 25k in early May (HM two weeks before as a training run)
Michigan Titanium - 70.3 on 8/23
GR Marathon - 10/18

I would like another few weeks between my 70.3 and the marathon, but overall I think things are spread out nicely. I am meeting with my coach this week and imagine I might be running slightly more in the time leading up to my 70.3 to put myself in decent shape for the switch to marathon training.

I have some questions that I think everyone can have some input in, regardless of experience level. Here's a good one to start:

How do you warmup for training in each sport? For biking and swimming I just go easy for the first 10 minutes or a set distance. Running warmup is where I struggle. I've found Jason's standard warmup over at Strength Running to be helpful and will also incorporate some of Jay Johnson's stuff, like his Cannonball routine.

My two "A" races would be IMTX in May, then The Utah Half 70.3 in August. I will have a few other Sprint and Olympic distance races in there that are more for fun than anything. The way I look at it, if I pick a training plan specific to that race, it is an A race. Everything else is just training or experience.

I have a hard time picking goals for these races though. Even though they are not A races, I still want to accomplish something in terms of goals and I don't always know what I want to work on for them.

I am a late addition Ben let me in and I am super grateful!! welcome to you all and I hope I can learn from you all

NAME: Triguy1043/ Jeremy

STORY: Did my first Triathlon at age 16, and I got hooked been racing on and off for 24 years I age up to the 40-44 group this year. I have raced every distance with 2 IM finishes @ Florida in 2000 and @ IMLP in 2012. I am a assistant race director in Upstate NY where we put on three triathlons, and I am also in my third year of triathlon coaching where I coach three athletes.

My occupation I am a PE/ Health Teacher, and Youth Director at my Church

FAMILY STATUS: Married to a triathlete with 3 children (7 Girl. 4 Boy, 17 months Boy

CURRENT TRAINING:
After a successful 2014 of training I have just taken a 4 week OFF SEASON and a 2 week reintroduction to fitness and start full blown on Monday 1/5/15

THIS YEAR'S RACES:
Fort to Fort 10K
Fly by Night Duatlon
Green Lakes Sprint Tri
Late season 70.3

2014 RACES:
Fort to Fort 5k
Fly by Night Duathlon 35 OA
Holland Patent Sprint TRI 2nd OA
Big George 70.3 38 OA 3rd AG
Deruyter Sprint Tri 3rd OA
Ragnar AdK ULTRA 3rd OA
Philly Marathon / BAD RACE pulled off at the 13.1

Ben.

Thanks for the details about ranking races. One of the consequences of not having a coach this year is that there is nobody to tell me "no" when it comes to signing up for races. My early season marathon, HIM, marathon, with 30 days between races is not the smartest plan. It makes each of them a B or C type race. Normally I try to have a very early season A race that I train for over the winter and then a very late season A race that I spend the rest of the season working toward. My only true 2015 A race is IMAZ at the end of the season. Everything else is for fun and fitness while working toward the ultimate goal race.

As far as current training goes.... I am on vacation at Disney with my family for the next week so I am squeezing in training wherever I can. The real goal is family vacation so training is a secondary thing. However, it is Disney Marathon week. I will be jogging the 5K with family on Thursday and running 13.1 on Saturday, if my body cooperates. I have been wrestling with PF since mid 2014 and I have been having some knee issues for the last couple months so running has been a bit tough. It may be a race day decision whether or not to run, and if I do run, just how hard to go. No matter what, the goal is to have fun while maintaining and maybe building fitness. I would call this a definite C (maybe D?) race

Edited by wannabefaster 2015-01-05 1:01 PM

Kim - that's crazy running into someone with the same problem. I remember when I was diagnosed. I had asked my doctor about chronic fatigue syndrome but he said that's just what doctor's say when they are out of ideas. I went home and looked up idiopathic only to learn that he used fancy words to diagnose me with extreme fatigue of unknown cause

I picked up some Super Feet inserts today to try and help my feet. I've heard great things and am looking forward to my run in the am.

3 mile run this morning, Sufferfest Downwaed Spiral before dinner. My legs are fried!

As far as classifying races I find it pretty simple PEOPLE RACE TOO MUCH!!

My schedule is as follows for this year

Fort to Fort 10K April 3, 2015 (C Race)
Fly by Night Duatlon May 9, 2015m (B race)
Green Lakes Sprint Tri June 13,2015 (A Race)
Late season 70.3 Labor day Weekend or Later (A Race)
Ragnar Ultra (C Race)

This schedule gives me ample training blocks and rest periods or Short tapers before events.
I also lie a big solitary build for my 70.3 or IM distances. I rather do a training camp at the venue then race a 70.3 4-5 weeks before a IM or a Olympic before a 70.3

Here's a great article on racing too much

http://kropelnicki.com/on-racing-too-much/triathlon

Jesse is the wizard and knows his stuff!!

Interesting article Jeremy. I can't imagine doing 4 or 5 IM events in a year and NOT being burned out. Heck, I can't fathom one at this point!

Does anyone have any experience with hip flexor tightness/discomfort? I will be going in for a bike fit next week (new saddle, shoes, pedals should all be here by then) and hope that will help. I believe part of the issue is weak hips and glutes (which falls in line with Ben's earlier point about strength training). Does anyone know of short term stretches or routines to help loosen things up? I meet with my coach this week and will run it by him, but I'm a big fan of learning as much as I can from as many places as possible. Parsing it down into usable knowledge can be the tricky part

John,

I found about a 12-15 minute guided yoga set the stretches a lot of the hip stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQqbt-oUhV4

I like to do it before the weekend, when I have my long run and ride, and then some time after the weekend to help with recovery.

Enjoy!

OK, so it's 21:47 long! It feels much shorter!

I don't know where your tight at, but i like the following two stretches for that area + the standard groin stretch (If you don't know what that is I'll get a pick of that too).

1st is for inside 2nd for outside of the area.

Edited by Lupy 2015-01-06 11:52 AM








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Thanks for the help guys. I will give those a shot tonight after I workout. My kids always get a kick out of watching me do yoga!

As far as my A, B, C races go, I only have scheduled an A and B race.  B would be St. George, although I am hoping to beat my time from last year.  My A race would be IM CDA.  I'm so excited for that day!   I usually schedule things in for the spring, but that lead to some burnout for me last year.  I'm happy this year to focus on just those two events!

Edited by ingleshteechur 2015-01-06 12:54 PM

I would just be assuming as I have never used a BT plan that they set there plans up with a Full Base phase assuming people have little fitness as all and then build from there.

If I have a good base underneath me I would stay where you are at for not and then pick up the BT plan when times or distances start to even out.
Remember its not about the distance of one ride or run its OVERALL VOLUME back sure you are hitting their weekly numbers.

Any tips on doing a 30 min running time trial for LTHR (doing it Thursday AM)? I've got the procedures down pat but unsure how NOT to go out too fast and how to mentally prepare. Would 5K pace be a place to start?

No idea what the right answer is here, but I'll play the side of going short. Maybe do the shorter times, but with a higher effort than you would normally do.

Not unless it takes you 30 minutes to run a 5K.......

I have done a lot of testing for bench marking over the last several years and have gotten better at testing. The biggest mistake is going out too hard.

For a 30 minute running test, I would plan on starting out 10% slower than my "hoped for" pace. If I was hoping to run 6:20s as my average pace, I would run the first 10 minutes or so closer to 6:50-55. At the ten minute mark I would start easing my pace down in to the 6:30s or even in to the high 6:20s. By the 20 minute mark I should be at my goal pace and starting to suffer. By about 24-26 minutes I would start to "empty the tank" by going under my goal pace, maybe down to 6:05-10. The last two minutes should suck badly.

It always feels better to start a little slower and finish fast than it does to start out fast and limp home. And believe me, I have done it the second way more times than I care to admit. Every time I have executed a test that I am really happy with (on the bike or run) I have followed the protocol above.

Of course, I am not sure what your 30 minute test entails so I could be giving you bad advice.

I would say no harm at all in bumping up the ride and run lengths to match your current fitness.

Like triguy says, just keep up your current volume until the plan catches up with you.

Jason, your approach sounds reasonable. My 5k pr is just under 22 so I should probably start out quicker than that pace from what you are saying.

That's what I try to do for my FTP tests on the bike (Rubber Glove) and it works well. I assume it would apply to running as well. I've done the test three times now and I think there is a certain amount of skill involved with a test like this so I attribute some of my FTP gains to better understanding how to ride for those 20 minutes as opposed to simply gains in fitness.

No. Not quicker than 5K pace. A little slower.