Trust the plan and follow the plan
Because I'm self coached, I don't have the option of having a plan tailored specifically to me. There are a lot of plans out there, and I've chosen one that I think will work well. It's a fairly aggressive plan, including 3 each of the swim/bike/run plus a brick every week. From this book:
Now, despite that, my initial reaction was to add extra run mileage. Because, somehow in the last year and a half of getting involved in triathlon, I've amassed more knowledge then Matt Fitzgerald. I mean, sure, he wrote an okay plan, but I know more then him so I'll just tweak it...
Yeah...
Last year, my biking suffered because I prioritized the running. Now, I'm actually okay with the results of that. I couldn't run before starting this, and I could bike. So, a bit of imbalance was okay for a while. Not anymore. In fact, I think one of my other goals for the coming season is going to be related to getting stronger on my bike. The bike is a very important part of the triathlon.
So, with that in mind, I've made the decision not to do a spring half marathon. I already know that I can do the distance, and a stand alone half marathon is not really the same thing as the run in a HIM anyways. It does not fit into the plan, and if I really want to prioritize my half iron, I have to keep that in mind when choosing other races.
The only alterations I'll be making to the plan are to make it fit with my schedule (ie: changing the rest day, since I have coached swim on Mondays, doing a tune up race on a different weekend because of when it's available). Obviously, if life throws me a curve ball like illness or injury, I'll also have to adjust things. But, what I won't do is change things because I think I know more then the person that wrote the plan.
I like your plan! You are going to kill this!
ReplyDeleteI've been told that since you spend majority of the race on the Bike, that is where (I think) should be mostly focused on and I am not signing up for any half marathons this spring either.
ReplyDeleteThat said..."what do I know" this is just advice I've heard from past Ironman participants.
And get those bricks in...they are really good and will actually make you a stronger runner (this, I have noticed in the last year!!! )
Good luck Deb!
For a non runner like me, I can relate to the lesson of this post, and that as I see it is the need for us to adjust and adapt our approach towards what we desire along the way. Plans are seldom so good they are set in stone, actually that book you show there would be a miserable read if it were made out of stone.
ReplyDeleteStay on plan not matter what adjustments you make for the better.
You are being very smart about this. I'm tempted to add mileage to my plan too but I remember how tired I was last year when I did my first HIM and how much I needed the rest. Your HIM is a week after mine so we'll be about on the same schedule. It will be interesting to compare plans (and how well we can follow them). Here we go.....
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