Training Day 1

So today was my first official Ironman training workout.  Since the holidays, I've been progressively getting back into a training routine.  Logic prevailed in this decision, where I realized it was probably a good idea to slowly build up my mileage so that Ironman training wouldn't break me.

For my training program, I'm following the Ironman Start to Finish 24-week training plan, with, of course, some Barone-ifications.  I'm following the key workouts (swim 3x/week, bike 2x/week, and run 2x/week) with minor tweaks to bring it in line with my own training philosophies and what makes the most sense for my body.

The tweaks I've made are as follows:

• I've included short CrossFit-style strength workouts 3x/week immediately before my swim workouts.  I am a huge believer in strength training and strongly feel that I've never encountered a serious injury because I strength train diligently. 
• I always include a brick run after every bike workout (a brick is when you run immediately following a bike ride in order to get your body used to transitioning between the two in a race).  I did this all last season and noticed a significant improvement in my race transitions (the tired leg feeling didn't last as long into the beginning of the run).  Even if it's only a mile, I force myself to run after riding.
• I am incorporating some of the training philosophies I'm reading about from the Hansons Marathon Method in regards to running.

The Hanson brothers train elite marathon runners and have a very revolutionary and controversial approach to marathon training.  They advocate higher running volume during the week and shorter "long runs" on the weekends.  This flies in the face of traditional marathon training, which is usually short runs during the week and then a LONG run on Sundays, which goes up to about 20 miles near the end of the training program.  The Hanson method only goes up to 16 miles for a long run, but the training leading up to that run creates a simulation of the FINAL 16 miles of a marathon, not the first 16.

They provide lots of scientific backing for their methods, which the traditional marathon methods do not (the only fact-based argument I can find is that "not many people have time to train longer during the workweek," which may be valid for convenience purposes, but does not physiologically mean you will be a better runner).

Another enticing part of this training method is that it is NOT designed to make you feel like you are dying at the end of the marathon.  They want you to finish, but not limping and cursing and taking walk breaks and praying for the misery to end.  That has been how the final 10K of all 4 of my previous marathons have felt.  I do not want a replay of this feeling at Lake Placid.  So I am willing to try a new approach.

Granted, I cannot incorporate ALL of the running volume the Hanson method advocates.  This is an IRONMAN after all, not just a marathon.  I have to swim and bike too, and NOT be dead on my ass for the rest of the day.  But I am finding smart ways to incorporate their techniques, like increasing the length of my brick runs and adding short runs as my warm-up before CrossFit workouts (I was using the rower to warm up before....this was a DUHHHH moment for me).  And I am using their pacing charts to plan my speed and tempo workouts.

So, in regards to today's workout, I feel pretty good.  Everything went well; I'm getting stronger on my swims every time.  I've been including more kick sets since my kicking is pretty sad, and the benefits are showing.  Swimming is definitely the part of the sport that I like the least, but that's probably because it's my weakest area and needs the most attention.

For my CrossFit workout (pre-swim), this is what I did today -- a Satanic circuit that makes you question your sanity after the first round:

• 1/2 mile warmup run
• 3 rounds: 21 cleans w/ 50 lb barbell, 27 burpees, 27 situps

After the first set of burpees, I wondered how I would do two more.  The answer was, as it always is, "one rep at a time."

I think that's more than enough for now.  I'll post more developments as they come.