I do think that you can definitely do it. You're not too far off and you've got a strong background. It's good that you're a strong swimmer as that means you will have time to devote to getting stronger on the bike. Looks like you've got good short course speed as well.

My question is what were your bike and run splits at IMFL and IMLT? And did you feel like you underperformed at all/what kind of times/numbers are you looking to hit? And finally what's your training looked like this year so far? Looks like you've been focusing on shorter stuff until now

And also I'd just like to note I think it's interesting that you have problems running hills and with the heat with a smaller frame.

This is excellent feedback, and it aligns more or less with what I was thinking. Do you have pointers on how to focus on FTP? I've heard the whole 2x20 tossed around quite a bit, but the details escape me.

2*20 is easy....warm up for about 10-15 mins, throw in some short 1 min intervals to get legs warm and then do your Sweet spot work (86-94% of your FTP) for 20 min. 5 min easy then launch into another one. Rinse and repeat. This is a good core ride during the week, great to do on the trainer. You could change it up a bit, maybe do 4*10 but at slightly higher pace, more at 95-99%. Maybe on the weekend, do one longer ride at an easier pace to work on nutrition and one harder (shorter) ride adding more SS work (like 20*3, then 20*4, then 20*5).

BUT you should at least follow a set program

(I hate the ocean.) .... I don't do well in the heat.
... So what are your thoughts? What am I missing?

... the Kona swim is in the ocean, and it's super hot in the middle of all that lava. :O

krez wrote:

:D I'm going to have to suck it up for that one!

2. Structure week so your long run is sun after sat ride. You have to learn to run on tired legs. 14 at 6:28 is not going to help your IM run.

If you decide to go the coaching route, DON'T hire this guys coach!

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/...t_reply;so=ASC;mh=25;

Much like the "help me with my fit" threads, the "long shot at Kona" threads seem to be the theme of the month. Normally I wouldn't bite, but like most people, I want to make sure all of my bases are covered in order to have the best possible chance. I'm hoping this isn't too hard since I feel like I'm on the right path here.

History:
This will be my fifth season doing triathlon. Before doing triathlon, I ran a handful of marathons (8). My best was a 3:09, but none of them were done very seriously. I swam in high school, and I'm extremely comfortable in the water.
Season 1 (2010): Warmup to tris. Nothing serious.
S2: Three 70.3's - Qualified for WC.
S3: Three 70.3's + IMFL (10:36)
S4: IMLT (11:16 - 6th in AG - M25-29)
S5: Current season - Gearing up for IMLT again. Raced collegiate nationals (2:02) and Alcatraz (2:31).

My goal for this year is to qualify at IM Lake Tahoe which is currently 14 weeks out. My training currently consists of: Swim 2-3 times per week. Bike as much as possible with two big rides on the weekends. Run every day with a long run on Wednesday. I just started my long runs this week (14.5 miles @6:28/mi.) I have been putting in back-to-back long rides on the weekends for a few weeks now, but I wanted to delay the long runs as long as possible since that's the greatest source of injury for me.

Swim:
As I said before, I'm very comfortable in the water. I did a 59:59 at Florida in 2012 and a 1:06 at Tahoe. The 1:06 at Tahoe was due to cold (sleeveless wetsuit) and navigation issues (steam coming off the water.) I don't anticipate the weather being as bad this year, but if it is, naturally I'm a bit more ready for it since I've been through the worst last year. I also have full sleeve wetsuit this year.

Bike:
This has notoriously been my weakness which is why I've been putting as much time into this as possible. I do have a power meter, but I probably don't use it as much as I should (I feel like this will most likely be the biggest source of feedback.)

Run:
This is probably my strength. I have a long history of running. More recently, my half marathon PR is a 1:20:20 and my 10k PR is 37:40 (this was coming off back to back riding days 85mi + 90mi, so my legs were a bit tired.)

Lifestyle:
Flexible job, no girlfriend, no kids. I pretty much have the ideal lifestyle for this kind of stuff.

Coach:
Mostly just consulting with my college triathlon coaches, but I don't have a personal coach. My pride tells me that I want to do this on my own. I also would prefer to save a bit of money if possible.

Ace in the hole: I feel like my ace in the hole is a training camp five weeks out. It's a 12 day camp (finishing three weeks out from the race) where we'll be running, biking, and swimming as much as possible. I've been cautioned that the daily average on the bike is ~90 miles. If I can survive/complete this camp and recover in time, I feel like this is the greatest possible boost for Tahoe. Quite honestly, this camp is more scary than the race itself.

Vitals:
Age - 29 (last year in M25-29 - terrified of aging up which is why I am trying hard to KQ this year.)
Height - 5'10.5"
Weight - ~152-155

Why Tahoe:
I feel like the course suits me well. Elevation doesn't seem to have much of an effect on me. It's a non-saltwater swim (I hate the ocean.) The bike is hilly which favors my average or slightly smaller frame. The run course is flat, and I'm notoriously slow at running hills. It's almost guaranteed not to be hot. I don't do well in the heat. Lastly, I have access to the Tahoe course. It's just a few hours drive from where I live, so I'm planning to get up there as many weekends as possible.

So what are your thoughts? What am I missing? I know there are some obvious things like learning how to pace myself with power and nutrition. Anything else?

As always, thanks a ton!

Much like the "help me with my fit" threads, the "long shot at Kona" threads seem to be the theme of the month. Normally I wouldn't bite, but like most people, I want to make sure all of my bases are covered in order to have the best possible chance. I'm hoping this isn't too hard since I feel like I'm on the right path here.

History:
This will be my fifth season doing triathlon. Before doing triathlon, I ran a handful of marathons (8). My best was a 3:09, but none of them were done very seriously. I swam in high school, and I'm extremely comfortable in the water.
Season 1 (2010): Warmup to tris. Nothing serious.
S2: Three 70.3's - Qualified for WC.
S3: Three 70.3's + IMFL (10:36)
S4: IMLT (11:16 - 6th in AG - M25-29)
S5: Current season - Gearing up for IMLT again. Raced collegiate nationals (2:02) and Alcatraz (2:31).

My goal for this year is to qualify at IM Lake Tahoe which is currently 14 weeks out. My training currently consists of: Swim 2-3 times per week. Bike as much as possible with two big rides on the weekends. Run every day with a long run on Wednesday. I just started my long runs this week (14.5 miles @6:28/mi.) I have been putting in back-to-back long rides on the weekends for a few weeks now, but I wanted to delay the long runs as long as possible since that's the greatest source of injury for me.

Swim:
As I said before, I'm very comfortable in the water. I did a 59:59 at Florida in 2012 and a 1:06 at Tahoe. The 1:06 at Tahoe was due to cold (sleeveless wetsuit) and navigation issues (steam coming off the water.) I don't anticipate the weather being as bad this year, but if it is, naturally I'm a bit more ready for it since I've been through the worst last year. I also have full sleeve wetsuit this year.

Bike:
This has notoriously been my weakness which is why I've been putting as much time into this as possible. I do have a power meter, but I probably don't use it as much as I should (I feel like this will most likely be the biggest source of feedback.)

Run:
This is probably my strength. I have a long history of running. More recently, my half marathon PR is a 1:20:20 and my 10k PR is 37:40 (this was coming off back to back riding days 85mi + 90mi, so my legs were a bit tired.)

Lifestyle:
Flexible job, no girlfriend, no kids. I pretty much have the ideal lifestyle for this kind of stuff.

Coach:
Mostly just consulting with my college triathlon coaches, but I don't have a personal coach. My pride tells me that I want to do this on my own. I also would prefer to save a bit of money if possible.

Ace in the hole: I feel like my ace in the hole is a training camp five weeks out. It's a 12 day camp (finishing three weeks out from the race) where we'll be running, biking, and swimming as much as possible. I've been cautioned that the daily average on the bike is ~90 miles. If I can survive/complete this camp and recover in time, I feel like this is the greatest possible boost for Tahoe. Quite honestly, this camp is more scary than the race itself.

Vitals:
Age - 29 (last year in M25-29 - terrified of aging up which is why I am trying hard to KQ this year.)
Height - 5'10.5"
Weight - ~152-155

Why Tahoe:
I feel like the course suits me well. Elevation doesn't seem to have much of an effect on me. It's a non-saltwater swim (I hate the ocean.) The bike is hilly which favors my average or slightly smaller frame. The run course is flat, and I'm notoriously slow at running hills. It's almost guaranteed not to be hot. I don't do well in the heat. Lastly, I have access to the Tahoe course. It's just a few hours drive from where I live, so I'm planning to get up there as many weekends as possible.

So what are your thoughts? What am I missing? I know there are some obvious things like learning how to pace myself with power and nutrition. Anything else?

As always, thanks a ton!