I’m debating adding a 70.3 to my training plan before Lake Placid (my first full)
On one hand $250 give or take seems like a lot for a glorified training day.
On the other hand it seems like it would be a great benchmark and test run.
Debating the value of a 70.3 as opposed to a more specific training weekend.
Do you enjoy racing? Summer is short - race a lot if you enjoy racing.
Life is short. Health is short. If you have the money, go for it!!!
I’m debating adding a 70.3 to my training plan before Lake Placid (my first full)
I did a 70.3 before my first full. I used it to test run my bike setup and practice my nutrition strategy that I had for the full. It gave me a little more confidence going into race day.
I’m debating adding a 70.3 to my training plan before Lake Placid (my first full)
I did a 70.3 before my first full. I used it to test run my bike setup and practice my nutrition strategy that I had for the full. It gave me a little more confidence going into race day.
Great points! I had raced sprint then Olympic for years. In these distances, nutrition really is a non issue.
So, when I did my first half, I bonked super bad. Without this experience, I would not have understood that nutrition maybe more important than training, and it allowed me to start working on what worked and did not for me.
So yep, just racing a 70.3 to deal with nutrition is outstanding advice! I had forgotten that.
I, too, vote for trying a 70.3 first especially if you can find an independent race for less money.
Do it! As long as it’s Toughman Tupper Lake - the perfect 70.3 build up/tune up for IMLP!
You’re 12 weeks out now, feel like blowing 2 weeks of training to do a race that has little in common with an IM?
Why in the world do triathletes call them “tune up” races?!? Jesus…
Just show up and race it?
Maybe “dial” your bike in too… And please let me know where the “dial” is, so I can find mine.
Sorry it’s early and I haven’t had my shakeology shake yet…
But seriously? WTF is a tune up race, what are you tuning? It’s a race… Put your goggles on and race. And when your friends ask how your race went you’ll already have your excuse… “Tune up race”
Back to bed. Sorry.
You’re 12 weeks out now, feel like blowing 2 weeks of training to do a race that has little in common with an IM?
x2
Only in my case, it’s usually three weeks. 70.3s beat the hell out of me and take away more fitness from loss of training that I gain from the effort itself.
I’m debating adding a 70.3 to my training plan before Lake Placid (my first full)
I did a 70.3 before my first full. I used it to test run my bike setup and practice my nutrition strategy that I had for the full. It gave me a little more confidence going into race day.
I don’t get that one and people say that a lot. The nutrition strategy for a full and for a half are very, very different. As is the pacing for a full vs half. For example, my last 140.6 I rode at about 69% FTP and took in over 400 cal/hour. Last 70.3 was at about 83% and 250 cal/hour. So what would riding for 2:20-2:30 at 83% at 250 cal/hour teach me about a ride that will take 5+ hours, at 69% at 400+ cal/hour? Not picking on you in particular.
Except that fueling for a half is nothing like fueling for a full, and the severe problems you’ll typically encounter with digestion, GI distress, etc. typically happen after 5 or 6 hours of caloric depletion. You are better off testing your nutrition in a long day of training.
You beat me to it.
Why in the world do triathletes call them “tune up” races?!? Jesus…
Just show up and race it?
Maybe “dial” your bike in too… And please let me know where the “dial” is, so I can find mine.
Sorry it’s early and I haven’t had my shakeology shake yet…
But seriously? WTF is a tune up race, what are you tuning? It’s a race… Put your goggles on and race. And when your friends ask how your race went you’ll already have your excuse… “Tune up race”
Back to bed. Sorry.
Nope, I think you miss the point. It’s not just a race, or an excuse.
I’m planning on doing a “tune-up” middle distance event in late May, 4 weeks before my IM in June. I’m not going to be racing hard. That would be counterproductive. For me, it’s purpose is as a long, tough, training session incorporating all 3 disciplines in sequence and including transitions. I intend to pace it closer to my IM pace than my 70.3 pace. If I finish with nothing left in the tank and I need a week to recover, then I screwed up!
So, it’s a hard training session, a practice run, not a full on competitive effort.
I’m debating adding a 70.3 to my training plan before Lake Placid (my first full)
I did a 70.3 before my first full. I used it to test run my bike setup and practice my nutrition strategy that I had for the full. It gave me a little more confidence going into race day.
My first full is in October. I have a half this weekend and another one later this summer. I bought a new bike this spring, so this is my chance to really check out the setup and get practice with the aero position in a race situation. Also, having an early season 70.3 helps keep my training on track. The spacing of races doesn’t let me procrastinate of slack off with my training.
Part of it is psychological, too. I don’t come from an athletic background, and I freak out a bit when jumping distances. I am hoping that this helps with my confidence in October.
My preference has been to split the season. Build your late fall/winter base (high intensity, FTP work, run focus, swim focus MTB, etc.), then build for a 70.3 the 1st half, and do a 70.3 as an “A” race. Then switch your focus the next 3-4 months on you IM “A” race and optionally do a 70.3 “B” race for fun and to test your fitness. If you’re injury free and have IM level fitness, you recover fast from a 70.3. You oftne get to race some of the same competition you’ll see in your IM (if your racing, not just finishing).
The greatest benefit, is that if you IM goes south and you have a bod day, you didn’t train 11 months for “nothing”. You have 2 opportunities to set PR’s and have good races to salvage your season.
Another alternative, is a mid summer IM, early spring “A” 70.3, and then a late fall 70.3. So a 3 part season. Again, this is a shot to salvage your season in a sense if the IM goes bad.
In the end, you train to test yourself in races. Why put in so much training time for just 1 or 2 races a season. If you train consistently, depending on how your structure things and your training history, fitness levels plateau pretty quick and I think most IM athletes spend 1/3 the season just holding a peak fitness level. IM athletes can benefit a lot form ding more “A” and “B” races and learn about how to listen to their bodies and pace themselves and execute on less than perfect rest or recovery.
I did a 70.3 before my first full. I used it to test run my bike setup and practice my nutrition strategy that I had for the full. It gave me a little more confidence going into race day.
I don’t get that one and people say that a lot. The nutrition strategy for a full and for a half are very, very different.
You just answered you’re own question. Yes nutrition for a half and a full are much different. I did 8 half races before my first full. IMHO nutrition in a half is easy, and kinda hard to screw up. Not so much in a full.
So basically in that last half, I setup my bike and run like a full. I took in nutrition like a full.
Maybe I worry about stuff too much and none of it was needed. But I was pretty happy with my result for my first full.
I’ve always done a Half in preparation for a full IM race; normally about 7 weeks out. I have a couple of days off afterwards and an easy week, and I can begin a big block of training the following week i.e. 8 days later. For me, if I’m training for an Ironman, then a Half is pretty ‘easy’ tbh as I’ve been doing volume beforehand and my legs aren’t fried for weeks afterwards. Like some of the others say, life’s too short not to do a race you fancy doing…isn’t that kind of the point of all the training?
You’re 12 weeks out now, feel like blowing 2 weeks of training to do a race that has little in common with an IM?
x2
Only in my case, it’s usually three weeks. 70.3s beat the hell out of me and take away more fitness from loss of training that I gain from the effort itself.
For me, this is why I do not like to do any long stuff. I like to race a lot. I love seeing all the folks. I love being at races with my wife.
Training is usually just by myself.
And then if you spent like a year for a single race, and things happen like the race gets changed or cancelled, (IMLT 2014), family issues come up, (IMLT 2015),
mechanical problems, (Napa 2015), etc., then what does one have to look back on?
I have three races starting in 10 days in two weeks. I just love to race short with all the fun. Makes for amazing training also.
If you haven’t done a HIM, then I say go for it.
My first two IMs were IMLou, which was 8 weeks after the former IMKS 70.3. Great tune up for the IMs and learned a lot.