This is the first winter that I’ve had to train for an early
season big event. Ironman 70.3 Puerto
Rico is on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th. Traditionally, a sixteen week training
program is what has worked for me in my prior dozen 70.3’s. This put my first week of training at the end
of November, the beginning of the cold season.
Creating weekly training plans became an exercise in predicting the
weather, then picking the best days to do the long rides… outside.
Part of the joy of training for races and staying in shape
for me is the time spent outdoors in nature.
Here on the mid-Eastern Shore of Maryland rural settings dominate. The Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries,
farms, forests, marshlands, fowl and creatures abound, here. Give me a hot 90+ degree day over a 20 degree
day every time, but also give me an outdoor ride over an indoor ride most every
time, too. With the exception of one
week, part of all my long rides this winter have been outside on the
roads. For in addition to watching the
weather for wintertime workouts, one must also plan accordingly for the
shortness of daylight. A few of my rides
had to end on the trainer because I lost daylight.
Just this past Tuesday, we had a 60 degree sunny, windless
day that we put on the docket for our long 70 mile training ride. We rode during the middle of the day (yes, we
played hooky) to take advantage of low traffic, of the brightest and warmest
sun, and of time to get work done in early morning and evening. The day turned out better than predicted and
we were able to get every mile in of our plan.
TRAINING PARTNERS can hugely benefit your training by
holding each other accountable for workouts, motivating each other, and having
someone else living through a similar experience to yours. Other than actually registering for a race,
having a training partner can be one of the biggest motivators for an
athlete. It helps to have a partner with
similar abilities, but it is not a necessity.
My partner, for instance, is several notches faster than me
in all three disciplines. WE usually do
workouts together when he has an easy one planned and I have a harder one on the
docket. When we run, we warm up
together, then we each run our own paces in the same area, so we see each other
during the run occasionally. Swimming is
simple; he simply gets a longer rest period than me at our pre-determined break
points. I also have gotten pretty good
at DRAFTING behind a faster swimmer, where I’m able to hold his speed in the
vortex created behind him. Cycling works
well too, when I get too tired or cannot keep up, I simply draft behind my
partner, the Machine.
Nothing better than heading into the pool for a workout when
it’s freezing outside; I love it. It is
obvious that there will be no swimming outside in the winter, right? But, when it comes to running and cycling in
the cold, GAME ON, but, the right gear is paramount. Gear can make or break an experience. There’s no such thing as bad weather, just
bad clothing. Something to break the
wind is the most important aspect to each piece of clothing for the run and
bike; more so for the bike. And, yet,
most of our gear also needs to be breathable.
So, too, does our hydration and nutrition need to adapt to
colder temperatures, making sure each does not freeze, making them hard to
intake. Just a few weeks ago on a long
ride in the Oxford area, my partner’s hydration hose froze to the point that he
only had a small trickle of water coming through.
I eat like a pig on the bike on training rides. DATES have been my new go-to. Two dates have roughly the same amount of
carbohydrates that a GEL does, plus they are loaded with Potassium, Calcium,
and Iron. Couple that with a few thin
slices of pepper-coated salami, and I have a feast, getting my hourly carb-count
and electrolytes. Most of my nutrition
comes in liquid form, however, with a sports drink with added plain Maltodextrin,
to increase the carbohydrate level without adding sugars.
I have come to appreciate the timely use of a treadmill and
cycle-trainer this winter. With all
these options, I’ve not had to miss out on any workouts due to weather. A weekly spin class helps to build my speed
and strength on the bike. Options to have trainers set up, here, at my house or
at my partner’s house gives us even more options.
Speaking of strength, one or two strength workouts a week
have been my norm for the past four months.
I see the results of this work in the latter part of my runs, where I’m
ALWAYS able to finish strong with my fastest miles at the end. This is true even with a long Brick run; the
strength is there and I like it.
Winter training has an aesthetic appeal, too, with nature
that fuels the soul. Holes in the river
ice create concentrated areas where migrating ducks and other fowl gather. Big changes in temperatures and humidity
create fog which gives our flat landscape of the Eastern Shore depth and
topography, if even for a few hours.
Six weeks until Puerto Rico where my partner and I both give
our ALL for an attempt to win slots for Worlds 70.3 in Nice, France in
September this year. It’s hard to imagine
a hot sweaty ride like we’ll have in PR.
It will be nice to feel my toes, however, at the end of the ride. We’ll keep you posted. Cheers.
