So...... in the Fall (2011) I semi-randomly decided to sign up for am Ironman. I had no intentions originally to since I had such a terrible year in 2011, which included a relapse with my back problem, a broken elbow, and a broken foot. I think I skipped out on a half marathon, sprint tri and age group nationals because of this. Then I signed up for the Ironman. So, decided to basically do everything different with training since nothing ever worked before.
I've always been an injured athlete...from 12 years old with a shoulder problem, to slicing my knee open in high school, to quitting college swimming because of various problems. Everyone always said what I shouldn't or can't do.....you won't qualify for this meet, you shouldn't do your half ironman. Well, too bad.
Been about 6 months since I started running again after my bike accident. I have not had a single injury since (minor stupid things but otherwise nothing) because of three things I believe that will probably carry me through my ironman training.
1. TRX http://www.trxtraining.com/
This is by far the best thing I ever got for free from Citysports. Every single exercise you do is body weight AND all core. Worth the 200 bucks you have to pay (unless you work for citysports) by far. Plus, it sits in my family room and I don't have to worry about annoying people from the gym. I don't even have a gym membership.
2. Heart rate monitor (and GPS doesn't hurt)
I was lucky to get the garmin 910xt through a pro deal at a good price. http://sites.garmin.com/forerunner910xt/ It's a great watch. I've been using heart rate to train to chill myself out on my runs since I tend to like to run too fast for my own good, which only lead to injury. Better recovery for sure.
After searching for a good training plan (24 weeks) i found one i like, that's based on heart rate and TIME. not miles. I broke down my heart rate zones based off a max test I had a little bit ago....
HR zone 1: 70% of max HR (active recovery): 144
HR zone 2: 71-80% of max HR (aerobic endurance): 146-165
HR zone 3: 81-90% of max (tempp) : 167-185
HR zone 4: 91%+ of max (hard shit): 187+
This is definitely going to keep me from overtraining....even if zone 1 means i feel like i am trotting for a run.
3. running gait.
This took me YEARS to perfect. First I was a heal striker...ouch for the back. Then I ran on my toes (five finger shit)....stress fracture. I finally found the shoes I love and the midfoot strike. Thank you Saucony Kinvara's and Brooks PureFlow. Huge difference.
In a way, I have no freaking clue what I am doing. But what the hell, you live once. 24 weeks of training "officially" starts next Monday. I understand if you don't want to date me, want to break up with me, dislike me for not binge drinking with you all the time, make fun of me when I'm tired, or find me more lame. Beer will be part of my training don't worry. Follow this for training updates and weird stories. By the way, I've totally had multiple beers and wine while writing this. Winning.
PS: i totally ran a 10k sunday in a PR of >6 minutes and I couldn't walk the next day. Gloriousness.
Oh dang! I just saw that you've been blogging. I'm gonna slowly catch up on your entries. I hope you're feeling great and training smart! Good Luck!
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