I’ve been doing the Mike Pigg triathlon program faithfully for 12 weeks now, and have seen NO improvement in my MAF tests. I’ve gotten a little stronger on the bike, but that’s it. The good news is, my resting HR has dropped from 60 to 48 since I started taking more iron, but I’m just not seeing any results in my training AT ALL. I’m signed up for the Big Kahuna, but now I am seriously doubting my ability to get ready for it. I had assumed my baby daughter would be tapering her nursing at this point, but she hasn’t at all, and I suspect that is a big metabolic cost to my system. Should I give up? Keep training and don’t care that I’m not getting any faster? I’m so sore and tired! Waaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Never give up. You WILL make progress, but unlike everything else in our modern society, it is something you have to earn over long time and dilligence. You deserve substantial credit for 12 hard weeks of training earned and on the books. Don’t throw that away. Don’t sacrifice that.
Stick with it. Hang in there. You are fighting the good fight. Good luck!
Don’t know all the details of what the program calls for, but it sounds to me like you would receive a huge benefit to backing off a bit for a week or two. Sometimes we A-type personalities…virtually all of us in the sport, I imagine…always try to cram too much into our lives. We fry ourselves with workouts, commutes, work, kids, other family obligations…and then wonder why we’re not improving…
Sometimes a bit of rest is the best training method.
Tom’s right. Nothing comes overnight when it comes to endurance sports training - even 12 weeks. Hang in there. The results will come.
As an aside, I have always been somewhat suspect of this home-fitness-test procedures. Not to get into the whole Maffetone debate, but it’s really hard to asses this sort of thing on your own in the field. There are only two ways to REALLY know how you are doing - A very expensive, true lab fitness test or a race( the clock does not lie).
My sister (and run training partner) is the proud momma of a 14 mo. old daughter. She has been having a heck of a time getting back into the groove. (she was in fine marathon shape before pregnancy) Very frustrating for her. It IS coming back, it is just taking more time than she wants.
Double (or triple) up on the jog bras, try running after you pump or feed, if you are stay at home, try embarassingly short efforts 2x a day to build up.
If you don’t already have one, look into getting a jogging baby stroller. I gave her the blue ironman one and it is a friggin dream. She is with the kid, has all of the associated kid supplies and its easy to use. (also one less excuse.)
Thanks so much for the replies and encouragement everyone. I got back on the bike today, and did my workout although it was really tough to keep those legs moving.
I do have a jogging stroller, but we live on rough dirt hilly roads and most of my training is focused on the bike according to this training plan I am on. I like the two embarrassingly short efforts a day though.
Don’t give up… I am REALLY impressed that you are training like this after having a child and you are still nursing. You need to give yourself credit, I don’t know how you do it… Keep it up, it WILL pay off
The nursing is what’s doing it for ya. When I was still nursing last summer, I was riding every day and doing a crit a week - my cycling was at its peak, but my running stank, seriouly bad stuff, I fond it impossible to get out there for more than 30min. Once I weaned the girl in mid-Aug, and here’s a hint mom, it’s you who decides when she weans not her, my running started to slowly improve. In mid-Oct I PRed a 5k xc race. So it can be done.
How long until your race? I suggest you start weaning her now (I assume she’s on solids now, at least cereal right?). If not then this baby is very young and your expectations are pretty damn high. If you really really want to keep breastfeeding her, then you should be prepared to have very slow improvements continue, but not much else. You could also cut the feedings down to just before bed.
I gotta agree with AP. The Mom is the one who decides (in most cases) when to stop nursing. The baby will happily continue on nursing for ever unless you decide it’s time to move to a bottle or cup.
That’s pretty impressive that you’re doing all of this while still nursing. Let up a bit on your expectations and you’ll be able to enjoy your baby and your fitness a little bit more. You have many, many years to win your age group or get to Kona or whatever your goals are. Don’t stress about not being there right now. You’re doing some pretty impressive things already, so just do what you can do and the rest will come later.
The mike pigg program says that when you stop seeing improvement in the maf tests then you move to the other phase. One phase being the all easy phase and the other being the intensity phase.
12 weeks being 4 tests, I reckon you should switch to the opposite phase from what you are now doing.
Yeah, I know you’re right about the nursing. She just turned a year old, but she was born a month early and is small. I kind of disagree about the mom deciding when to wean … I can tell she is just not ready yet. The surgeon general recommends nursing for 2 years!
At any rate, I think a change in my goals and expectations is reasonable. I’m backing off on the hours I’m spending training each week. Thanks ladies!
Hmmm. I’m under the impression that you have to see a certain amount of improvement during the aerobic phase before you can move on to the anaerobic. At least that is what PC Coach told me during my last update: Not enough improvement seen to progress to the second phase. And since Smartass isn’t handing out scholorships I’ll stick with the Pigg - just a bit less of him.
I’ve had weeks when there was no improvement, and then when I suddenly would drop 30secs off my 1500m swim. And, as someone said earlier I know one of my coaches constantly tells us not to make the mistake of not resting; she said she was in a rut/plateau for a while but then after having her first child, she trains less now but is still improving…
