Can you train for a HIM in 3 months

Diamondmaker

Im keen to push myself in my 1st year of tri. I set myself goals beginning in Dec to Compete the summer series in Super and Sprint tris, complete an Olympic and complete a HIM.

I have ticked the 1st 3 boxes, after completing my 1st Oly yesterday, I can still walk. Completed it in 2.38. I was happy with this, although 20k of head wind, no aero bars and a poor bottle set up must have greatly affected my ride. The bike leg was my greatest weakness as a result.

The step up in the swim and run dont concern me in the HIM, my back ground is running and I swim to 2k comfortably, but the huge leap in the bike and then having to run off it, is a concern. I did find my rhythym yesterday after 5k and ran very well. Concernded the damage of the bike may destroy my run.
I also have my 1st born due any day now affecting time to train durng the critical next 3 months ( critical to baby ! )

What are peoples thoughts on achieveing a good HIM result in mid August. I dont think I will be able to get out and get as much training as I would ideally like over the next 3 months, well not the duration of sessions I would need ideally. I dont want to rush in and finish one just for the sake of it and be in a world of pain, is 3 months enough time to condition to the next level. For arguments sake if I could devote sufficient time, is 3 months enough ?

I dont want to limp over the line, its not about doing it for the sake of doing it, but to post a good time to build on and not do the body or mind any damage out of it.

thanks

peter kern

if you like to tick boxes you could even do an ironman in 3 month you can do a lot of walking in 17hours to get to the line. nothing special about that
but i think you answered your question already yourself , to get faster over the olympic distance rather than ticking boxes.

Diamondmaker

Its a long time and the HIM breaks up the gap. As per your analogy I dont want to do it, just to have finished it. It will help keep up the training but it could be a bridge to far and just a night mare of a day. I wont get any satisfaction out of walking the 20k...

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Can you do early morning sessions, lunchtime sessions? You will be surprised how many sessions you can get in without affecting family life and a new arrival.

Diamondmaker

Miracle Tangy Lavatory wrote: »

Can you do early morning sessions, lunchtime sessions? You will be surprised how many sessions you can get in without affecting family life and a new arrival.

I am at work at 6.30. So I dont do early AM sessions. Currently I do 2 long bricks every Sat and Sun. swim/bike and swim/run. Or 2 sessions broken up on one of the days. I usually start these at 7.30 and home just as the wife is putting the coffee on.

I have also starting to get in 2 long runs every week after work, I take the train to work and run home - a nice 16k, so this helps get a session in when otherwise stuck in traffic. So I get in 4 sessions a week currently.

So both the above Im confident I can continue when bub arrives.

With the winter darkening, my bike is suffering however, just when I need it the most. I cant face training for a 90k bike on a wind trainer. :mad:

Only now I have put it down in text in front of me, I realise I must sarficice a w/e run, for a long bike, as I can accommodate the runs on my work week on way home.

Can I do 2 swim/bike bricks in a w/e ? Of course I can, but will it benefit ? If so how would one mux up these 2 sessions for max benefit.

I suppose what is the best way to maximise a Sat and Sun. Im a strong runner and finding my my weakest leg, the swim, is over taking my bike, due to focusing on it and dropping off the bike with winter.

The HIM is up at the Whitsundays so Im dead keen to get up there for both reasons

Cheers

kingQuez

If you can finish an olympic race you can finish a HIM. I don't know what you consider "a good result"; for some people that will be finish inside the cutoff, for others that will be place in the top 10. If you're happy to just finish then I'd say dive in and keep it up!

A couple of questions/ideas: You say you're doing two long bricks each weekend, what distance and duration are these? I dont see anywhere that you're doing the traditional bike/run brick, is there a reason other than time that you're avoiding this? You could cycle to/from work, from what you've said cycling is the discipline you're spending least time on (and the one you'll spend most tim in at the race!) - seems like an obvious way to fit it in without having to adjust your life schedule too much or start dropping the other sessions?

MrCreosote

I don't think you should do it this year- the new baby will make any training plan go out the window. You'd be able to finish for sure, but I'd be sure you'll come out after thinking that you could have done a much better time.

If you want to do it just for a laugh, or a holiday or whatever then go for it, but don't expect to get a "good" time.

Work on the bike- either learn to love the turbo or commute to work on it. Winter in Brisbane is perfect conditions for training- warm but not hot, dry and sunny all the time. You can work around the lack of daylight.

Diamondmaker

MrCreosote wrote: »

I don't think you should do it this year- the new baby will make any training plan go out the window. You'd be able to finish for sure, but I'd be sure you'll come out after thinking that you could have done a much better time.

If you want to do it just for a laugh, or a holiday or whatever then go for it, but don't expect to get a "good" time.

Work on the bike- either learn to love the turbo or commute to work on it. Winter in Brisbane is perfect conditions for training- warm but not hot, dry and sunny all the time. You can work around the lack of daylight.

Thats what I want to avoid, dont want to finish it just for the heck. Winter is perfect for soft c0cks great training to be done in 32 deg heat 98% humid !

Seriously though where I work is not a safe cycle. Point taken about the wind trainer.

Diamondmaker

kingQuez wrote: »

If you can finish an olympic race you can finish a HIM. I don't know what you consider "a good result"; for some people that will be finish inside the cutoff, for others that will be place in the top 10. If you're happy to just finish then I'd say dive in and keep it up!

A couple of questions/ideas: You say you're doing two long bricks each weekend, what distance and duration are these? I dont see anywhere that you're doing the traditional bike/run brick, is there a reason other than time that you're avoiding this? You could cycle to/from work, from what you've said cycling is the discipline you're spending least time on (and the one you'll spend most tim in at the race!) - seems like an obvious way to fit it in without having to adjust your life schedule too much or start dropping the other sessions?

My plan was to get to Oly so I have not put a HIM plan into place yet. My typical w/e was 2 1.5k swims. Both cycle to and from the pool. Then 1 of them I contnued the cycle on a undulating course for the 40k. The other day I would cycle back and then do the run.

I can get standalone runs in from 16k - 25k twice a week. That is already started.

So as you suggested I think I need to swim/bike and bike/run Sat and Sun.

Mon rest. Tue Thurs Long Runs and maybe Wed or Fri eve swim alone.

All of course buiding in distance. I have a duathlon and 2 Half Marathins coming up too, to help keep in the groove.

How do people feel the above routine will put me in for a HIM, I am lucky to have a very supportive wife so that end does not hold me back maybe a few late nights with the baby will take some wind from me though.