Training and eating

[OJazzy1]

I am starting to pick up on my training as I just got a note about the duathlon national championships in AZ in April and I am going to go! I am so excited and so nervous.

So I am wondering as I am ramping up training there are a couple of things I need. #1, I am supposing I need to ramp up my eating yes? #2. Does anyone know of a decent training plan that could help me out, searching the internet can get a little overwhelming!

[Wahine]

Hi OJazzy1. Congratulations on going to nationals.

Even when you're training hard the same rules apply for food intake, it's all about caloric expenditure. If your mileage goes up you'll need to eat a bit more if you want to maintain weight. What you might need to do is change how you eat. Making sure you get about 200 Cal into you within 20 min of a hard workout helps a great deal with recovery and that's important when you're doing a lot of hard back to back training days.

As for training plans, there are a lot of them out there. What distance is this? How much experience do you have? Are you willing to pay for a plan?

There are some good plans available on this site but you have to be a paying member of the site to access it.

Then you could always hire a coach and get a personalized program.

Good luck to you.

[OJazzy1]

Thanks.
I need to start fueling better before workouts...

I actually ran my first duathlon this year but I have done a lot of long distance cycling and a few half marathons and other races etc.

The distance is 5k-30k-5k

Well... I might be willing too but I am a pretty strapped SAHM at this point.

[Wahine]

Thanks.
I need to start fueling better before workouts...

I actually ran my first duathlon this year but I have done a lot of long distance cycling and a few half marathons and other races etc.

The distance is 5k-30k-5k

Well... I might be willing too but I am a pretty strapped SAHM at this point.

If you have the time and not the money, I would recommend getting the Triathlete's Training Bible. It is geared toward triathlon but has modifications for Duathlon through out. I have a great deal of respect for Joe Friel's approach and the book walks you through how to develop your own training plan based on your weaknesses. But you have to be willing to put in some time.

Even without having to read the book anymore, I have used Joe's principles to set up my athletes with programs and it takes at least 2 hours to do the start-up, then about 1 hour per month to update their plan as they go along. And that's without having to go back to the book, read things etc. I think the first time I did my own program it probably took me about 5 to 6 hours to figure it out, then about 1.5 to 2 hours per month.

The book has been around for a while so you can likely get it through your local library.

[Veronica]

If you have the time and not the money, I would recommend getting the Triathlete's Training Bible.

Even without having to read the book anymore, I have used Joe's principles to set up my athletes with programs and it takes at least 2 hours to do the start-up, then about 1 hour per month to update their plan as they go along. And that's without having to go back to the book, read things etc. I think the first time I did my own program it probably took me about 5 to 6 hours to figure it out, then about 1.5 to 2 hours per month.

The book has been around for a while so you can likely get it through your local library.

A bit of a hijack...

I feel like I've been bumbling along for four years, trying to make canned plans work for me. They never do. I wasn't ready, willing or able to do the amount of running. I don't want to give up my strength training time and I don't need to swim three times a week. And I need to have yoga a regular part of my week.

Of course this book was one of my first purchases and it's sat on my shelf, pretty much unread. In fact I just hunted down to make sure I still had it. Guess it's time to give it a serious look and make my own plan.

Veronica

[GLC1968]

A bit of a hijack...

I feel like I've been bumbling along for four years, trying to make canned plans work for me. They never do. I wasn't ready, willing or able to do the amount of running. I don't want to give up my strength training time and I don't need to swim three times a week. And I need to have yoga a regular part of my week.

Of course this book was one of my first purchases and it's sat on my shelf, pretty much unread. In fact I just hunted down to make sure I still had it. Guess it's time to give it a serious look and make my own plan.

Veronica

Me too. I can't seem to make canned plans work for my schedule for a whole host of reasons (mostly different from yours, V!). I also have this book somewhere and I need to hunt it down when I get home tonight.

Thanks for posting this Wahine - you may have saved my 3rd tri season!!

[Wahine]

One of the things I love about Joe's book is that he emphasizes prioritizing your workouts and learning how to fit it into your schedule, being on the lookout for overtraining and the necessity of prescribed rest. I do think that he overestimates to total number of training hours required to reach a certain goal.

One of my favorite quotes as a coach is the title of one of his sections in the book. "Train like a race horse, think like a bumblebee".

The race horse comment is to illustrate that sticking to a plan and not throwing in extra junk miles is the best way to reach a goal. When a race horse is done it's workout, it doesn't second guess that it's time to stop and rest, it just does.

The bumblebee comment is an analogy for believing in yourself. Apparently, physics cannot readily explain how it is possible for a bumblebee to fly. It just does because it knows it can.

[Veronica]

My copy is a first edition. He's on number 3 now. I just ordered the new one from Amazon after comparing pages of content and reading his introduction. Most of the new info is about training intensity and nutrition. I figure those are kind of important. Plus it was only $17.00.

Veronica

[GLC1968]

Heh - turns out, I didn't have it. I have his Cyclist's Training Bible, but not the tri one. So I just ordered it too...with a Christmas gift card. Free and it arrives Friday! Can't beat that with a stick.

V - have you had a chance to dig into it again yet?

[Veronica]

I've glanced through the old one. My new one should get here today. Funny how now what I read actually makes sense. I'm looking forward to maybe, actually having a training plan that works for me. I want to keep it fun, but I also want to break through some barriers.

I am in awe of people like Kacie who can spend so much time training and still sound like they are having fun. I think that's part of why I'm reluctant to get a coach. I'm not sure I'd find having coach "fun." My trainer is fun, but that's only two hours a week of doing tough stuff.

Veronica

[GLC1968]

I would venture a guess that Kacie doesn't blog about the training sessions that totally bite, but I do know what you mean!

I think that having a coach could be fun if you have the right one. And finding that right one might not be so easy. That's why I hesitate - I fear throwing away a ton of money on something that may not work out due to my other commitments. At least if I'm the one setting up the plan, there is less guilt and cost involved.

[TsPoet]

I had the honor of crewing RAO for this guy a few years ago. Great guy, has lots of good advice, especially about ultra racing.

http://www.jbvcoaching.com/Nutrition.asp

[OJazzy1]

Interesting.... I will have to give it a read now. I have got to get a handle on how much is too much and how to much to push, when to stop etc. sounds like the book might give me a boost!

I sometimes find myself getting frustrated with laid out plans as well... sometimes they just don't fit with life and then there are times when they just don't make much sense to me.

The racehorse and bumblebee are a good analogy.

[kacie tri-ing]

I would venture a guess that Kacie doesn't blog about the training sessions that totally bite, but I do know what you mean!

I think that having a coach could be fun if you have the right one. And finding that right one might not be so easy. That's why I hesitate - I fear throwing away a ton of money on something that may not work out due to my other commitments. At least if I'm the one setting up the plan, there is less guilt and cost involved.

HA! This is pretty funny!

I tend to have SOME that bite. I think I mentioned it a little in my last blog:


But you are right, I tend NOT to dwell on it. Otherwise, I can't really look at the rest of my schedule.

To be honest, my coach knows me very well. Sometimes, if I am really struggling, he will tell me to back off and go rest, and other times he will tell me to push through the misery and see great results. That is the good part--having someone outside of the emotion of training to push you when you need it and pull you back when you need that.

[kacie tri-ing]

One of the things I love about Joe's book is that he emphasizes prioritizing your workouts and learning how to fit it into your schedule, being on the lookout for overtraining and the necessity of prescribed rest. I do think that he overestimates to total number of training hours required to reach a certain goal.

One of my favorite quotes as a coach is the title of one of his sections in the book. "Train like a race horse, think like a bumblebee".

The race horse comment is to illustrate that sticking to a plan and not throwing in extra junk miles is the best way to reach a goal. When a race horse is done it's workout, it doesn't second guess that it's time to stop and rest, it just does.

The bumblebee comment is an analogy for believing in yourself. Apparently, physics cannot readily explain how it is possible for a bumblebee to fly. It just does because it knows it can.

My coach LOVES that quote too :-)