Winter Training for Puerto Rico

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 17^th.  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.