When you really decided to buckle down...

[Kimmyt]

So I was doing some thinking, and I think you ladies have inspired me!

I really enjoyed this tri thing. I lke training, but I'm not usually a detail-oriented person, so formulating a detailed training plan always seemed daunting. This year I did 2 sprints, and they piqued my interest. I am going to try and pay more attnetion to my workouts this year, but it is hard for me to pay attention to all those details sometime...

Next year I'm aiming for a Oly, and in addition I want to do a half-marathon in the spring.

So, when did all of you ladies buckle down and really get into the training aspect? I know several of you more serious tri-ers have mentioned how they found their focus and I'd love to hear your stories of when you decided to take it more seriously... Last year I trained a fair bit, but there was little focus in my training. It was just attempting to run and ride and swim prior to the tri, which worked well for me but now I am thinking of targeting specific goals to take down.

So here I am, having a slow (sort of) moment at work, and I'm formulating plans to train x-days a week/sport and I am getting really excited about this. I love all of my sports and hobbies equally, but there is something about the competitive aspect of triathlon that is just really exciting.

Keep on inspiring me, ladies!

[Starfish]

I second this question!

[rocknrollgirl]

Hi Kimmy!

I have always had a goal on the schedule, something to train for, be it a peak to summit, or a backpakcing trip, something. I did tri's in college a long, long time ago, and then got back in to racing 4 years ago. I still trained, but with no " formal" plan.

HOWEVER, my serious, by the book, follow a plan training started last January for this Xterra season. I loved it. I loved seeing the progression and seeing the physiological changes along the way. Here is what I learned:

1. Block training, or periodization really works. If it can work for me at 45, it can work for just about anybody.

2. It is sometimes harder to do the rest weeks and the easy days than to go out hard all of the time.

3. The rest weeks and easy days are critical to the process. That is when you make your gains.

4. That mt biking with the gang is not always in my best interest as far as my trining goes, and that I had to be a little selfish and do what was right for me.

5. The plan needs to be flexible to account for weather, stress, life, weariness etc.

6. Missing a few days of training over the long haul will not sink the ship.

7. It is better to undertrain slighlty than overtrain slightly.

And lastly...I learned that I am A LOT tougher than I ever gave myself credit for.

Good luck with your planning....you are going to do great.

Ruth

[Eden]

Rocknrollgirl's advice is really great, especially if you plan to self coach.

I'm not a tri person, but I figure motivation and planning training in the general sense isn't much different for any sport.
So I started racing last year. I did my first season without having much of a formal plan, really just to see if I could do it and could be competitive. When it came time to think about the next year I knew that if I wanted to improve and move up I'd need to train with a lot more focus than just go out and ride most days...... I figured sure, I could read some books and come up with a plan for myself, but it would be better (for me) to just go to someone who already knows what they are doing, so I hired a coach. It also gives me someone to be accountable to. It's been working out quite well for me. I hired someone who isn't totally invasive - doesn't monitor every bite of food I take, etc., but gives me guidance and workouts specific to my upcoming races.
There are a lot of levels of coaching. My coach uses Training Peaks, but puts in my workouts herself. You can sign up for a computerized training plan there fairly inexpensively (as little as $10 a month and follows the Friel model - which is periodization).
My coaching is fairly low level, I get workouts and consult personally a few times a year (of course she's a team mate so I get to talk informally a lot) and not terribly expensive -$75 a month
I have team mates who have a pretty intense coach, who gives a lot of hands on stuff - they do rides together, get nutrition information and a lot of testing - he charges around $250 a month!
Of course you can find a lot inbetween too.

[KSH]

Well for me, I didn't get focused until I got a coach who gave me weekly training plans. Otherwise, I just did what I felt like doing when.

With a coach I have focus on what I need to do each week and I feel accountable for getting it all done. I mean, if I don't do the workouts he gives me, then what am I paying for?

I'm the type where doing self-coaching and making my own training plans was not going to work. There is just so much information out there, it was overwhelming. I just need someone who knows what their doing to tell me what to do. HA!

Good luck in whatever you decided to in the future with your training!

[Kimmyt]

OK, now here comes part 2 of the question!

I think I am decided on trying to self-coach this year. Depending on how that goes, if I can become more competitive (right now I am MOP but thinking with a little focus I can at least move up towards the front of my very competitive ag, aw heck, or at least just beat my own personal goals) I may consider in the future, probably definitely before any thoughts of an IM, getting a coach.

So, how in the heck do you find a tri coach? Do they advertize in the yellow pages? Do you look on a website? Do you put up a flyer at the local tri shop??

K.

[roadie gal]

There are a number of good, free training plans out there. www.beginnertriathlete.com has plans for sprint to IM.

As far as getting a coach, do you want an online coach or in person? There are a bunch of online coaches that advertise on tri sites: beginnertriathlete, trifuel, slowtwitch, etc. You can ask around on those sites to see who's used which coaches and what their opinions are.

[teigyr]

Kimmyt, when I was looking for swim coaches, I found a place that does all sorts of coaching. They do tri clinics/coaching and also the various disciplines on their own. Perhaps with some websearching you can find one. Or is there a tri group in your area? Last night when I was at the pool session a guy came in from a Seattle Tri Club.

I always thought I was a self-training person (such as I am) but learned that sometimes it's good to have someone else watch you do what you're doing. I guess I could follow "on xx day do xx activity at xx exertion" but what I don't know is what happens to my form when I start to get fatigued and what I should do about it.

Not that I know what I'm talking about. I guess I see the value of both sides but it might be good to see someone periodically at the very least.