Since the turn of the year there seems to
be more buzz about the former Full Vineman, now Ironman Vineman, and the same
could be said for Ironman 70.3 Vineman. Along with the “buzz” I see a lot of
what athletes are doing from a training standpoint and see opposite ends of the spectrum .... too much or nothing! So whether you are training
for either Vineman race (26 & 23 weeks away respectively) or any race for that matter, I hope the following information will help you evaluate or
re-evaluate the path you are taking to get there.
Some things to consider from a training
standpoint if you are racing at Ironman Vineman, Vineman 70.3 ... or any other race this season.
1) Get Healthy –
Stay Healthy … If you are not 100%
healthy and are battling frequent illness or carrying around any sort of
injury, FIX IT NOW, and back off what you are currently doing. If you never get healthy you’ll never be able
to train properly
2) Get Strong –
Stay Strong … this can mean different
things to different folks. For some it includes the weight room, or strength
classes, or specific workouts. Regardless of exactly what it is for you, as
athletes we need to be creating a stable platform that we can work off of when the training REALLY matters for your key event. (Which is starting 8-12 weeks from
race day)
3) Be Consistent … before making major changes or increases in
training load find a pattern or schedule that is molded around points 1 & 2 that
you know you can OR have maintained for 6-8 weeks CONSISTENTLY.
Before you start worrying about how long
your training sessions are, find a pattern of consistency for at least 6 weeks
so you can establish the three levels above.
All my athletes are different and have
different demands and I guide them like that, individually. So it’s difficult
for me to say exactly what a person should be doing “now” when they ask online
or in casual conversation. BUT, if you / they have established the above criteria
I am way closer to being able to answer that question. If you have not established #1 - #3 you already know the answer to your question.
One other question has come up in conversation as well:
“What About A Training Camp Coach?”
ANSWER:
Part a.) I start with items 1-3 above (but 8 weeks not 6) … if you haven’t
done that then it’s non-negotiable. Without a foundation the camp is likely
do-able but the potential for too much rest needed post camp OR the
increased injury risk especially makes any value of the camp worthless.
Part b.) The reality is I like camps but
they should be placed appropriately. If you are more than 8 weeks out from the
key race then just getting in the extra volume and stimulus of a camp is plenty.
If you are 2-8 weeks out and training has consistently been on track you can consider
specific “pace work” into the training camp. In the end, if the camp is an
overload of training for you, then you and most people will get good benefit
just from training overload alone.
When considering your training, where you
are in it, and where you are going … it is important that you can do your best and
most specific training when it matters (Go back to #2 if you don't remember the answer ;-)
More Vineman and race planning thoughts to come
soon.
Best,
DL
No comments:
Post a Comment