Ordinary People have Fun at the BOP!

I want to thank Mile 22 Bags for highlighting our story from the Back of the Pack (BOP). It is common to feature the accomplishments of elite athletes. Most of our role models are exceptional: They are the fastest. The strongest. The most enduring. We are inspired to share the common bond of humanity, but suspect that they are a different breed.

The Back of the Pack is a story about ordinary people. The story is inspiring because it helps us see our own potential. It invites us, at whatever age, weight, or ability, to get up and move. It offers a vision of success that does not necessarily include speed. It offers buddies who cheer our smallest successes, stay with us on the toughest days, challenge us to do our best without measuring against standards set by others.

The Back of the Pack helps people envision an active lifestyle and provides support to ensure success. The program is an activity of Run Wild Missoula, the premier running club in western Montana. For more information, see the RWM-BOP webpage http://www.runwildmissoula.org/index.php/ID/2efe20c3/item/back-of-the-pack/fuseaction/rwm.clubActivities.htm
At Wellbuddies Coaching, we help people live healthier and happier lives. Sponsoring the BOP is a pro bono enterprise that complements our core coaching programs and services. Visit our website for more information, www.wellbuddies.com!
Tell us about your experience as a slower runner or walker. What would you look for in a group that celebrates “running wild at whatever pace?”

Running:
If you’re running four times per week, make one run a long run. If your current long run is 60 minutes, you could gradually increase it to 90 minutes. One run should include intervals at your (estimated) race pace – so if you’re training for a sprint distance triathlon, your intervals are at 5k pace. The intervals could be anywhere from 200 meters to one mile, with walking, jogging, or just resting for 30 seconds to 3 minutes between. Build up the total distance of your interval workouts. For example, you could start with 4 x 400 meters fast (1600 meters of fast running) and the next week do 6 x 300 meters fast – shorter intervals, but more fast running total. The rest of your runs should be easy. You can also include strides during one of your easy runs.

Biking:
Let’s say you’re biking three times a week. One ride should include intervals, one should be easy, and one should be a long ride. The intervals should be at race pace or effort (20k pace for a sprint triathlon). Gradually increase the length of your intervals. For example, you could start with 4 x 4:00 hard / 2:00 easy, and progress to 3 x 8:00 hard / 3:00 easy. You could also do hill repeats instead of intervals if you live in the mountains. The long ride should be moderate intensity – not too hard, but enough that you’re starting to get tired by the end. If you usually ride for one hour, your long ride might be 1:30, and you could gradually progress to 2:30 – 3:00. If you’re doing four rides per week, add another easy / steady ride. This could also be part of a brick (see below!).

Bricks:
A brick workout is biking followed immediately by running. Bricks are helpful for getting used to how your legs will feel running off the bike. Include a brick every week or two with easy biking and running. You can build up to including some strides during the run or short intervals on the bike.

Swimming:
If you’re swimming twice a week, do one easier workout and one harder workout with intervals. Your easy swim should include any drills you’ve been given to work on. For your interval workout, warm up for at least 20 minutes. Your warm up set can include repeats of any distance with 5 – 30 seconds rest. Examples are:
• 8 x 200 @ 3:30 (so if it takes you 3:00 to swim a 200, you get 30 seconds rest and you leave for a 200 every 3:30)
• 10 x 125 free / 100 IM alternate @ 2:00
• 2 x (4 x 100 @ 1:45, 250 @ 4:00)
Your main set should also be at least 20 minutes. Swim intervals of 25 – 125 yards with 10 – 60 seconds rest. If you swim three times per week, add in a steady, continuous swim. This could be 1000 – 3000 yards, depending on your experience. You can mix it up by including drills or other strokes. If you have time for four swims per week, add another easy swim. If you’re doing five swims, add a second interval workout, with a main set of longer (200 – 400 yard) intervals.

Planning a week:
Now that you know what workouts to do, how do you decide when to do each workout? Scheduling your week can be the hard part. Try to space out your hard workouts with easier days between. For example, leave a few days between your long ride and long run, and give yourself an easier day after a brick. And make sure to actually go easy on the easy workouts, so you can go hard when it’s time to!

Everyone is different, so every training plan will look different. If you have questions about setting up your plan, you can contact me at mile22@mile22bags.com, attn. Laura

Kayaker Jason Shreder shares his passion for the river along with tips on getting the most out of your experience. Great river scenes!

First, if you haven’t already, choose a race (or races) to train for. Typical triathlon distances are sprint distance, Olympic / international distance, half-ironman, and ironman. There are also races with variations of these distances. If you’re a beginner, you may want to start out with a sprint triathlon, which is a 750 meter swim, 20 kilometer (12.4 mile) bike, and 5 kilometer (3.1 mile) run. An Olympic / international distance triathlon is twice this distance. An Ironman (2.4 mile swim / 112 mile bike / 26.2 mile run) or half ironman (half of Ironman distances!) may be distances to consider once you’ve done a few shorter races and have put in months of training.

Next, decide how much time you can commit to training. You could look at this as how many hours per week you have free or how many workouts per week you could do. Then you need to assess your background to decide how to divide up your hours between the three disciplines. What discipline are you best at, and which one will need the most work? What type of training are you currently doing?

Let’s say you have time for eight workouts per week. You were a competitive swimmer in the past and you have done some biking and running, but you feel that running is your weakness. You might decide on four runs, three bikes, and one swim per week. This way you can try to significantly improve your running, slightly improve your biking, and just maintain your swimming. If you aren’t currently training this much, you’ll need to build up gradually so you don’t get hurt. For example, if you usually run twice per week, first increase to three runs per week. After a few weeks, add a fourth run.

What should you do during each of your swim, bike, and run workouts? In the example above, you would want to keep most of the runs easy since you are increasing from two to four runs per week. The additional runs could be about 30 minutes, or slightly less time than your normal run. You can also include 20 to 60 second strides during one of your runs. Strides are running fast while thinking about form – they aren’t sprints. Once you’re up to four runs per week, make one of the runs your long run – maybe 60 minutes if the rest of your runs are 30 minutes.

For biking, ride as much as you have time to, but keep most of your rides easy. You can do high cadence intervals of 30 seconds to two minutes on one of your rides. This is good ride to do on a trainer or spin bike. Figure out your normal cadence (how many times one of your legs goes around in a minute) and increase it by 15-20 for the high cadence intervals. Try not to go above 120 revolutions per minute.

If you’re a beginning swimmer, make sure to go to a master’s swim practice or have someone who knows good swimming technique watch your stroke. Technique is crucial in swimming, so for now swim at an easy to moderate intensity and think about your form. Do drills if your coach has given you some. If you’ve had previous swimming experience and are getting back into it, keep your intensity moderate for the first two weeks. After that, during each swim you can add in 20 minutes of faster swimming. Swim intervals of 25 – 125 yards with 10 – 60 seconds rest.

Remember to keep a training log. You can use an online tracking program, a spreadsheet, a notebook, or whatever works for you. Write down the workout distance or time, any intervals, strides, etc. you did, any other details you feel are important (how you felt, weather, training buddies….) Having a training log will be helpful in the future so you can look back at what you’ve done to track improvements and decide how to build on your workouts.

Look for another article coming up on how to train once you’ve built up your base. Happy training!