BANG. Direct hit. Excellent thread. There used to be a cycling coach here in Southeastern Michigan with whom I disagreed on many points except one: "Be a student of the sport". Mike Walden mixed some pretty weird old-school trad ideas with some interesting new ones to fomr his own "program" for riders. Central to Walden's coaching style however, and somewhat contradictory to it, was to be your own coach- learn all you can about the sport. Understand why you are doing what you are doing at all times. Every workout should have a purpose and you should know what it is.

In my opinion (something I am never short of...) people need to educate themselves on basic and advanced exercise physiology. Once they have done the reading and testing- on their own- then they can make informed decisions on their own about their training. They understand themselves, their mind and their body and why they are doing what they are doing.

No one crosses the finish line at Ironman alone. Contrary to popular belief it is a team effort. I have at least ten very good people on my "team" who support me every day in what I do, and I am a lowly, aging MOP'er.

Having a coach is fine. It is better than nothing, way better. But I think it is better to learn the sport on your own and understand how you got where you did. There is nothing wrong with having a few more people on your "team", but you share the credit and success with them also.

Additionally, the science of how the body prepares for endurance sports is fascinating. I love to read about it. I learn new things usually (literally) every day. That only makes the process more enjoyable.

-Geez, I hope I haven;t gotten off track. You got me all fired up......

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

definitely interesting change of subject... but is it really?

) So at what point in the traing year does each member of " the TEAM " become involved.

) What are "the TEAM " members duties?

) Who pays for their time?

) How does it all work?

After several years of training on my own, I used an on-line coach in 2002, targeting a world-qualifier duathlon and a marathon (separated by 6 months.) I made phenomenal progress, learned a lot and then had each event basically ruined by freak allergies. I decided that I will go with a coach again when I'm confident I can hold it all together for the "big event."

I'm training on my own now, using what I learned from that individual, what I've read through the years and what I have found works well for me. My focus now is on proving to myself that I don't HAVE to be a slow runner, and otherwise making sure my training gets in the things I like best - long runs and long rides. My goal for the year was to train and race for the pure fun of it, but now there's a another world-qualifier duathlon that's only 2 hours away..........

Love the sport and do as you please - you'll do well.

Chappy,

Great Thread. I am heading into my 23rd year of tris (12 IM) and have tried, studied, and experimented everything ON MY OWN! I would have it no other way. No coach knows more about me than me. Most that I see use on-line coaches, etc, make the biggest rookie mistake in not listening to their own body, and don't reach their potential. Now, I am very type A, super disciplined, and at times quite neurotic...maybe those more balanced do need a coach. I prefer to study, trust myself, enjoy the sport and have fun!

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David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.

The team of people who have done an incredible job of supporting me include:

Mike Aderhold: Bikesport employee, computer engineer, former buyer for TAPCO (worlds largest siding trim manufacturer).
Aderhold was also best friends with Michael R. Rabe. He prevented me from commiting suicide in August 2003. He trains with me, eats with me, he and his wife let me stay at their house when I couldn't be alone. He never gave up on me. Ever.

Mark Trzeciak: Has built my bikes (when I don't, which is rare). When times were tough he was there. And times were very tough. He is the "hook-up" king, he can get anything from anywhere. You name it, he has a "hook-up".

Mike O'Donnell: Bikesport Store Manager. Mike picks up the slack, and there is a lot of slack. He is an expert fitter, FIST certified, a triathlete, a talented mechanic and salesmen and an excellent businessman. He is lethal with an Excell spreadsheet. Mike O keeps the store going when I am off in Thailnad, training for Ironman, etc. He is also father to two girls and a fine husband. He is a wise and calm man, dignified in every way. To me, he is an example.

Colin "Calvin" McMahon: He has set up the Computrainer for our bikes, rides with me on days when I probably wouldn't otherwise ride (like today), washes our bikes, changes tires, helps with a ton of tasks that otherwise would not get done. Without him I couldn't race and train. He was also a contemporary of Michael R. Rabe.

Kim Ross: Owner of Intuitive Business Solutions with her boyfriend Mark Liljgren. Kim and I have burned more midnight (and morning) oil than has ever been refined. She is the magic behind the bikesportmichigan.com website and our team uniforms, T-shirts and everything with a Bikesport, Inc. logo on it. When I came home from Thailand Kim and Mark had filled my refrigerator and put flowers in my kitchen. Kim even hooked me up with her best friend, Katie, who I dated for a summer and was a very nice young lady.

Susan Johnson-Trainor: I was briefly engaged to Susan but our age difference made a marriage pretty unfeasible. She is now married to a fine man, Kyle, who is a teacher and a nice guy but not nearly as good looking as me :) Susan rode her bike next to me when I trained for the '99 Ironman Canada and came to the race with me. Susan is an anchor of sanity in a world full of cruel, selfish, self-serving people who can justify any behavior in pursuit of their own agenda. Susan is a peaceful and kind soul who always puts the needs of other people before hers. Two weeks after she lost a baby to a miscarriage she was helping me when I was going through a rough time. She and her husband are good people and those are few and far between in this day and age. Basically, if I ever have a "moral" dilemma, Susan and Kyle are the people to consult.

Nate Griffith: Nate is a bike racer and works here at Bikesport, Inc. While most of Nate's time is devoted to bike racing he does a fine job here at the store enabling me to train and race. He also helps care for my bikes and helps (aloong with Mike O., Mark, Mike A., Calvin and others) do the leg work for the website.

SuperDave Koesel: Another hook-up king. Simply put: Dave gets me bikes. Dave works for Felt and Orbea and does an incredible job for our store and a number of other good stores here is Southeastern Michigan. SuperDave is also an incredible racer at the Category 1 USCF level and a good friend. Koesel, as a trained engineer from U of M, knows more about bikes than anyone I have met. Ever. If I have a question, I call SuperDave. SuperDave also gets my ass out of a sling when I make a mistake, which is more frequently than I care to admit.

Pete Ewasek and Dave Giandeletti: My lawyer (Pete) and accountant (Giando).

Jay Blackburn: My financial advisor who entertains my many eccentricities when it comes to dealing with money.

Andrew Zack: The literary agent who convinced me (and continues to convince me) that my writing is worth what publishers are willing to pay for it and more. Andrew represents me to the publishing industry so I don;t have to deal with them. All I have to do is write. That is an incredible luxury.

Greg "Craig" Isenhower: Training partner and Bon vivant. A source of continuing enthusiasm. Craig is 20 years old and discovered cycling last year. He is also an absolute horse. He tore me apart for four and a half hours on the Computrainer yesterday. It took me a day to recover.

My Mom: Never cuts me any slack, or anyone else for that matter. Pretty straightforward person. While my Mom is cut from a different piece of fabric than I am ("Why would you ever want to go to a place like that...?" "Tommy, why do you do these stupid things?" and the best, "Tommy, that can't be any fun...")she taught me the most important lesson you need to know in life: Never give up. From the time my Mom was a kid her life was hard- very hard. She never complains and she never gives up.

Every one of our customers who have helped me learn about bikes and the sport and the business and enabled me to lead a life a lot of people only dream of.

I think people often don't think about the others in their lives that contribute to their success in tirathlon and Ironman. That is a shame. If people think they do it all on their own, they are wrong. Without the guys I listed above and more I wouldn't be able to race or train.

It is difficult to overstate the importance of their contribution.

These people are involved to a greater and lesser degree all year long.

Each of them performs different roles to keep me training and get me to the race.

Some of them I pay for their time, some just do it because, well, I don't know why they do it.....

This is how it works: I respect them, they respect me. We're honest with each other and we never let each other down. We honor our commitments. We don't bail on each other, even (and especially) when things are hard for one of us.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Tom, are you saying that if all those people vanished tomorrow (hypothetically, of course), that you would not train or race?

I ask, not be a smart arse, but to try and point out that perhaps you underestimate yourself and your level of commitment, etc.

We all get encouragement, etc from other people. Heck, some of my motivation comes from observing people that I know will never have the "fortitude" to commit to doing anything. But, I know that once the shoes are on, it's all up to me. I have to swim, bike, and run, and all the other people involved can't help me. We are all alike in that manner.

In reality, my fgamily and friends could care less if I were training for a triathlon or going on a fishing trip. One thing has nothing to do with the other. They love me, not what I do. I'm sure your friends are similar.

One of the major reasons I picked triathlons was the self-dependence. No waiting for training partners, wondering if they're going to show up (we've all done that), trying to keep them motivated and not to quit (non-committed training partners suck), no teammates to credit/blame, etc ... it's all you out there.

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-- Every morning brings opportunity;
Each evening offers judgement. --

I'd probably still race, but it wouldn't be as easy and I wouldn't have been able to do the things I've done.

The good people in my life have been an on going source of support and strength when things are good and when they are bad.

I know from personal experience some people just suck the life out of you and when they finally use you up and kick you to the curb they do it because you are empty and they need to find someone else to try to use to get the things they want. They judge a person's worth by how that person can serve their agenda, and that is it. They will never change and they will never examine their own behavior. They are too afraid to look in the mirror and are often masters at manipulating their own mindset and those around them. They can justify any behavior.

Some people give you energy and make your life easier and more pleasant. It makes you want to give back to them. It makes you want to be a better person, more like them. It makes you continuously look at yourself and your own behavior and ask, "Do I have the strength of character to be anywhere near as selfless as them?"

Those people make endurance sports easier. They make everything easier. Without them to help and take pleasure in helping I know I wouldn't be as fortunate as I am now in terms of the cool races I have been able to do and the great things and places I have seen.

Yeah, I'd still race without the support of my friends and associates, but I wouldn't be able to do nearly the things I have been able to thanks to their continued selfless efforts.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Chappy, I hear ya. I have been doing multisport since 1989 and have 7 IM finishes over that time span. In spite of years of training and racing experience I still feel somewhat clueless as to how to set up a training program, mostly because of some pretty serious time constraints I have always had. From 1997 to 1999 I was coached in a pretty hands-on way by a former top American triathlete and over that time span I in reality had only one decent race despite upping my training volume substantially (but gradually) over the 3 year period. I ended that association primarily because I felt this coach failed in one major respect: he would not assume responsibilty for my racing outcomes and he did not run his business the same way I run mine. To this end I recognize there are two styles of coaching: hands on and hands off; I don't prefer to pay money I work hard for to those coaches who adapt the latter style, smugly.

So I went back to self coaching from 1999 to 2003 and found myself even more disorganized in regards to training, and my ability to show up prepared for races declined. From the '00 IMFLA until Aug '03 I was unable to complete the training required to show up for iron distance events despite repetitively signing up for them. I think I became reliant on having workouts sent to me and following them as best able, needing very little in the way of "tweaking" to my program....and then when back on my own it was like the bottom dropped out. i was really all over the map with my training and it showed.

So my search led me to such things as generic workout templates like in MarkAllen and Julie moss's book; using trainingbible.com; using multisports.com. None of these worked for me. So....after much discussion with my former coach and a frank talk about what I felt went wrong in the past i decided to give him a shot again. Long story short I did complete a half iron in Sept under his tutelage but was once again disappointed in his seeming failure to accept responsibility for my program (rate: $1700 for 6 months) and his poor way of running a business (no apologies for not "finding" emails I sent, for not returning phone calls in less than 2 days, etc) but always making sure he picked his kids up from school on time, got his workouts in and cashed my checks quickly. At the end of the current agreement I did not renew and do feel that I am "over" this particular coach.

So...I haven't really decided what to do for 2004. I have recently rekindled my desire to be more competitive on the running scene and to do some open water marathon swims and to let the cycling and triathlon thing slide a bit. It isn't really an answer but its how I feel right now. I feel totally adept at coaching myself to excellence in swimming and running but the multisport thing is not paying dividends for me right now: after all this time I don't get much out of being able to say "I am an IRONMAN". I know I am. What I want is results consistent with my abililty level and a coach who can help me define that. So for now I like you will be the coach, nutritionist and motivator for all my training needs until I figure out that there is something better out there for me.

OK, so not particularly helpful to you, but just lending moral support; you're not alone in this query.

good luck

chip

Well, personally I would have it no way than to be my own coach.

Back in 1885, when I was a university cross country runner, I discovered triathlons. Wow, no coach, no plan, no set workouts, no meets that I had to peak for, just go and enter, race and have fun. I'd spent from the ages of 12 to 19 in competitive track, soccer, baseball, with everything being dictated from the outside. Triathlon was awesome, fresh and new. No one really even knew how to train for them. Tinley, Molina, Allen and Scott were taking the programs of elite athletes in all three individual sports and were figuring out how to combine them. In the case of Molina, he did as much time as an east German swimmer, as many miles as Greg Lemond and as many running miles as your average Kenyan (well, maybe not that much) all in a week. This was neat, and in my "front of the age group pack" world, I got to participate in my own way, figuring out what I needed to do on what days etc etc. Heck, there were no coaches, no HRMs, no powermeters, no computrainers and no training plans.

Fast forward to 2003, 18 years of racing later, I still have not succumbed to a coach (I still figure I know more than most of those pawning themselves off as coaches), 11 Ironmans, and over 150 tris and marathons, and only 1 month forced out of training due to injury. Hey, if I can avoid injuries, have FUN every day and WANT to train and race, I figure my self directed approach works fine.

As TOM D says, become a student of the sport. Know why you are doing what for every workout. And if the only reason is that it makes you happy to climb a mountain so you can feel the wind blow through your helmet on a 50 mph descent, or see the sunrise as you crest a hill on an early morning run, that is certainly good enough. After all, only 1 guy wins Hawaii a year and only one wins an Olympic gold every 4 years. The rest of us are just out hammering, having fun and getting fit and healthy !

I think the whole coaching/personal trainer industry is the biggest scam on planet, milking many misguided souls for information that any intelligent person can download and read up on in half a day. Now a real hands on coach who can combine the physiological elements of each sport and provide daily consistent technical and psychological guidance (like a college track coach, or a pro cycling directeur sportif) may be well worth it. Sadly, this service is practically non existent in the world of tri except at the very elite level (i.e. Col Stewart, Brent Sutton, Lance Watson) etc

Good luck in 04 !

The good people in my life have been an on going source of support and strength when things are good and when they are bad.

You just described a key part of the Meaning of Life . You pull me up when I'm down, and I'll put you on my shoulders so you can reach your goals. Loved ones are so rare, that when you find some they mean everything to you, and vise-versa.

My mom will tell me I did great no matter what, my dad will point out everything I could have done to do better (especially the obvious ... "You mean I should have ran faster? That's how this works? No shit?" LOL), my wife will laugh at my tight shorts (swim jammers) and when I drop to a knee due to fatigue, my son will jump on my back from behind and choke me thinking it's "time to wrestle". [I wouldn't have it any other way]

I don't think anyone ever "goes at it" completely alone. None of us are born with the knowledge of swimming technique, annual planning, bike setup, what a fartlek is, etc. So, we have to learn that knowledge from somewhere.

I personally cannot see a realistic situation when I will hire a coach. The expense vs. benefit just doesn't seem worth it. I look at this stuff and it basically comes down to "Run a distance, next week do it faster". I spent tons of time searching the internet for "workouts" that I could do, and it dawned on me that it ain't all that important. Just go swim, bike, and run. Try a few new things, keep what works, drop what doesn't. If I get to where I'm creeping up on the 10%, and want to get into the top 5% ... maybe a coach. I can finish BOP on natural ability alone, and MOP with some consistent training.

So, all of us have some help from others. But, when it comes down to it, it all comes down to one person. Other people can make it more/less difficult, but they cannot do it for you ... that's what I like about this deal.

I can't ask a masters swim group to rearrange their schedule for me, or a bike group to schedule their rides according to my schedule, nor can I ask a running partner to plan his life around the time slot I have open for training, and I'm not willing to train in place of spending time with family ... so I go at it alone. I've adopted the "alone" part as part of my motivation, and My sig line "members: 1" reflects this.

It's cool knowing that whether you embarass yourself, do okay, or set a personal best (or even win the damn thing) that it was basically all due to the consistent work of one person. Nothing or No one can ever take away the kind of effort and dedication this sport draws out of you.

Sorry if I got too off-topic. No one in my "real life" wants to hear about training. It's like when my wife gets home from work and wants to talk to me about her day (accounting superviser).

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-- Every morning brings opportunity;
Each evening offers judgement. --

I'm on my own, but I tend to listen the most to what Friel/Byrn/Molina have to say. I can't do that volume in all three sports, so I do it running (my weakness) and pray for crossover effects.

I've done less than 10 hours of cycling in a year, but I'm 25 watts ahead of my previous life-best at sub-threshold effort. Running a lot does a lot for a non-runner.

My swim training plan this year is to show up at tri club sprint races and try to catch a good draft.

With 4 IM (MOP at best) over the last 5 years I have used a coach and currently self coached, and will remain so for a few more IM until such time I hit a performance wall or barrier. then I might consider so coaching or at least some consultation.

Other posters have already mentioned some valid points, such as:

1. reliance on training plans being sent to you may lead to not listening to your body, particularly type A personalities. I have been more over trained with a coach than when self coached

2. Experiment of One: true to an extent. But ultimately if you read and research training ideas and systems of others, to some extent some one else has done some of the basic research already

3. Coaching: I did not use a online coach but saw him regularly, the problem was I did not listen to my body and he did not have the time to really get to know me, so I tended to over train, just because the schedule said so. No blame involved.

4. With a few IM traning cycles under my belt, plus spending lots of time researching, I have decided to self coach once again for the coming season. I know my weakness, strenghts, limitations and my commitment and therefore can plan with some structure and confidence. But I did learn a lot from the coaching experience.

5. Tom is right to a large extent about the Team needed. But really its not a lot different from other aspects of life. How many of ours are truly an island on to ourselves, fact that you are reading this is to some extent proof of this.

Contrary to what some might believe, I actually think that IM traning is relatively straight forward for most of the field, Oly distance racing might be more complex especially for the Elite AG and upwards. The big problem with a lot of newbies (and some experienced IMers) is over training and over estimation of ones ability. Sounds contradictory but it may not be.

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Simple Simon
Where's the Fried Chicken??

You and I are at the exact same place in training and experience and I have thought about coaching as well. However from my research, the only coaching that I think would benefit me is 400.00 a month! I cant believe this is what it costs! Perhaps if I was in the CEO challenge I could afford it, not gonna happen. It has been my observation that people newer to the sport could do about anything they want, and as long as they are racing, they get faster. Not understanding that just racing weekly can get you better, they write 10 page testimonials about their coach. A good friend in the sport could help them just as much.

Interesting posts. Having just completed my 2nd tri yr, (2 im's), I've asked myself that question. 02 was pretty good except for nutrition plan failure during 1st im. 03 much better, qualified for Kona.

I started off using the (free) Gail Bernhardt 13 weeks to im plan. I did have the running base but biking was infrequent, mostly cross-training. I honestly didn't know how to swim (still not pretty or fast), took some lessons, have since joined a masters group.

Gail's plan works well for me as a "general" road map to im, but I don't hesitate to modify, i.e., more/less rest, speed vs. hill work, etc. The key I found is listening to your body. No coach can do that for you. Nothing against coaches but I feel that athletes are often pushed beyond what's sensible just because it's on the weekly "got to do" plan.

There's also the opinion (in Europe) that Americans over train. Suppose there's some truth to that if one looks at who's on the podium and who's not.

What ever the approach to training, let's not forget the fourth discipline, nutrition. Looking back at this years IMF, I believe that more competitors suffered from a failed nutrition plan than anything else. Why?.. it looked like a pedestrian mall with all the walkers.

Happy Holidays...

I agree totally with Devashish on this one. I was a competitive runner from age 11 onward and decided to get involved in triathlon in 1990 when I graduated from university and didn't have a team to run for anymore and wanted to try something new. The only time I needed a coach was so that I could learn to swim properly (although the jury is still out on that one!). In the past 13 years I've always trained myself based on what I've read and learned by experience and it seems to work pretty well for me. My feeling is that unless you have the resources to hire a personal coach who is there with you for most of your workouts and is designing a program specifically for your needs (ie. not one of the bulk order "ironman is 13 weeks" type) that experience and research on your own is the way to go.

I am a newbee(only 1 IM and some local Tri"s and a couple of marathons)and I am basicly going to do it on my own. I am shooting for a 12hr finish at IM CDA.Coming in new with no background I have tried to learn as much as possible. The problem I have had is there is so much conflicting data. Just look at the weight training thread. I usually end up terribly confused. Example:all the advice for the 180 cadence running. Who is this for? For me doing a lond slow run at 180, I look like Chalie Chaaplan in fast forward. Try running that cadence at a 9 min mile!Here is another one. I did the swim at CDA in 1;07 something(on just 8 months of swimming). To improve my swimming a person on the masters has tried helping me with the total immersion. (Iwas at 11 to 12 strokes per 25yrds)Now I seem to be more screrwed up. The one guy at our YMCA(Mike Larson,gold medal free in 68 and 72 olympics)who I am now going to go to gives me different advice. So for now I am going to go with more of some of Gordo"s tips. Getting used to long bike rides and long runs. My body seems to have no problem doing volume compared to spped work.intervals ect...On the swimming again,in a short pool I just did 70 lps in(3500yrds)in 60 min by just doing long swims. Being told by some I should be doing sets,speed work ect... Will it really make that much of difference. It seems that so much of the info I read is really for top AGers and elites, not for MOPers that are learning. I really want to have a coach some day but I feel it will not be worth my while till I learn more about my body and learn what I need to ask. I stiil do not know what I do not know. Need more experiance to have some kind of "context" to put things in,of what to ask and to shoot for.

I think that most triathletes tend to be self-sufficient personalities. That doesn't mean that we don't need support and some guidance from others, only that we will seek out the information that we need and won't hesitate to evaluate that advice against our own experience and adjust as we see fit.



In the early stages of our tri career we don't have the experience base to compare to, so we need the canned training plans and various "expert" training articles. After a couple of years we have some personal history to weigh the conflicting advice against and decide what is likely to be better for our own physiology and psychology



I have a couple of triathletes that I mentor. I'm not their coach, but they know that when they come up against a new situation, I've probably experienced it before and can advise them on how to deal with it. They don't just ask me what to do, then go do it. They think for themselves and bounce their ideas off of me as sort of a reality check. It's very rewarding when they (often) make comments like "You were right on the money when you said...!".



So, my advice to you, Kenney, is to find an experienced triathlete who has achieved goals that are similar to yours. Someone who did it under similar constraints as you (ie. work, family, school, etc.). Because if there's one thing we triathletes enjoy as much as figuring things out for ourselves, it's inflic... um, sharing that knowledge with the less experienced. ;)





Happy trails,

Chris

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Happy trails,
Chris

Thank You..

Fist-bump to everyone, thanks. Tom, you mirror the most important thing I learned in my first IM, "You have to do this on your own, but you can't do it by yourself." Frankly, I'd have to wonder if I would continue to do this without the friendships I've developed along the way. Let me add to the discussion that going the coaching route was something I did do for a year on the recommendation of one my own team and had a great experience. I was fortunate in that I developed a good, solid relationship, where I think we both may have learned a few things. It was helpful to argue, discuss, all the data and training theories out there. That was then. I really am ready to try my own 1/2 baked thoughts on this new adventure. That and I'm needing to go somewhat solo for awhile in order to try and discover the draw this sport has on me. I can connect the psychological-emotional dots fairly well and they have partial merit in explaining the why, but they do not explain all of it. There may be a "spiritual" componet because of the joy I experience but such is not so easy to discern, nor affirm. With do diligence I hesitate to spirtualize what may be nothing more than endorphins. Peace.

RIGHT ONNNNN!!!!!

I've been TriDork for 11 years now. I have a swim coach but that's it.

I swim with Haydn Wooley mainly because over the years I've found that swimming is my trigger for all my workouts. If I swim on my own, I invariably start reducing my distance and then skip ride and run workouts. Having a swim coach is also good. I swim with good technique and know what to do, but it's good to have a good technician and great motivator like Haydn say from time to time, you're doing X or Y wrong, nip it in the bud. I then have technique on my mind. This flows through to running and riding as well. I seem to concentrate on spinning and circles better, after Haydn has corrected my swimming. Same goes for running.

As for an overall plan for IM training, I have read heaps and tried various options. I once wrote out a full plan, based on Jon Acklands "Power to Perform" book. (Buy it, read it and do it). I keyed in every bloody workout for an entire year, graphed everything, kept my log book and agonized over minute details. I read and re-read the chapter on "What to do when things go wrong". Great book. Everything went well on race day until some rogue stomach problems. (not experienced since).

This time I've got a general plan in my head and a well constructed plan of lead up events. I just did the Leppin 1/2 IM in Taupo NZ this past weekend and everything is going extremely well. Had a great race and all the changes I've made to my unofficial Plan produced the desired results and I'm now stoked and eagerly waiting for IMNZ in March. I can hardly contain myself!

I know for example when I've gotta up the bike and run mileage, change to speed work etc. I also know (and do!) when to back off to head off overtraining or an injury (like my recurring achillies problem) so I don't screw myself over. I don't stress about missed workouts although I don't enjoy having to take a day off.

People ask me about days off and I say XMAS and my birthday. Although it was my birthday at Taupo on race day. Since I did so well (for me :-) ) I might have to change my birthday to the first saturday in March so I can race well again! I take days off when family, weather, injuries or other commitments force me to. Generally I get one day off every week to 10 days. I train maximum 16 days in a row (2 weeks plus the extra weekend) for a big set but normally only 9 days in a row.

I'm no pro (topic for anohter thread) but I am improving each year and hope to for many years to come (god knows theres lots of room for improvement)

Read everything, trust your body, remember the important things in life (family and friends etc) and be your own coach much of the time. Unless yo're a pro of course then get a good coach.



TriDork

p.s. If I get any faster I'll be a MOPer not a BOPer. I can hardly wait!!!!!

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TriDork

"Happiness is a myth. All you can hope for is to get laid once in a while, drunk once in a while and to eat chocolate every day"

Agree with you about the conflicting data. Been doing tris for 11 years and have finally changed from a high intensity approach (rugby background) to a more endurance based steady approach (a la Gordo). Have read countless books and found that a lot would be appropiate for me if I was still 20 and invincible. However, having hit the mid 30's it's not so good. The section on Mark Allen in the 4th edition of the Lore of Running ties is useful. 4 pages you could easily read in a bookshop. Also see Rich Strauss's website for some swimming tips.