iron rookie
T3 Project
i
Winter Base Training Update
By Dave Christen
W
hen I first approached my coach
posting about the benefits and coaching that out of your time each day you train. Food for
about helping me train for the next
can be done on a Computrainer. They are thought.
year as I make the transition from
one sick little training tool. But riding has Here we are in the middle of winter,
runner to triathlete and attempt an Ironman,
been good for me in general. and by the time you get this issue in the
I was not aware how much of a change
As a runner, you would think getting mail, it will be nearing mid-January. At that
would be made to my “routine,” or lack
my miles in would be second nature. I am time, we’ll be right about six months from
thereof.
quickly learning that when you are trying race day. I encourage you to check out
Here is a quick recap: I am Dave Christen
to “master” swimming (or in my case, just the blog. You will see my full training plan
and I work at USA Triathlon in the national
hang out with the masters), as well as trying there, along with a ton of cool video of the
office. I found a USAT Certified Coach
to get in the saddle a bit more, running legs workouts, testing, and as many of you may
(Ken Axford, www.fast-tri.com) to help
are hard to put on when the couch looks so have seen after the fall issue, my big crash
me transition from a distance runner to a
appealing. Speaking of appetite, my grocery from back in October. I also encourage you
distance triathlete. Ironman Lake Placid is
bill has slowly been creeping up. “You gotta to reach out to a coach in your area and
the goal and we are going to show you all
fuel the fire!” start a conversation on what value he/she
the entire process from start to finish.
So that is the basic update. We have also can bring to your training. I will tell you right
For those of you I used to scoff at, who
added my entire race schedule to this article now, as someone who was skeptical and “self
would rise early (really early) and jump into
so you can see the races I will be doing coached,” it is worth it. No longer do I try to
a pool with a bunch of other people who call
leading up to Lake Placid. Ken has built a figure out what kind of workout I need today
themselves “masters” – I apologize. Monday,
long-term plan for preparation to show that or what type of bike route I want to take.
Wednesday and Friday I rise at 5:00 a.m.
there is adequate time to get some racing in My performance levels and markers are
and jump into cold water by 5:30, simply to
as preparation for Lake Placid. In a nutshell, going up along with overall strength as an
find myself getting worked over by people
every training plan should have elements endurance athlete. Planning has its purpose,
whom I now realize actually deserve the title
of building your base, strength, speed and and purpose has its perks. Find a coach and
of “master” of this discipline. Bottom line:
volume as is appropriate to the distance you get some purpose out of those workouts.
swimming is hard and I have a long way to go
are preparing for. Take a look at the schedule Besides, we are all looking to get an edge
before I hit Mirror Lake next July and hope to
and you will see what I mean. anyway. Take the plunge.
get out of the water in a decent time.
The purpose of this project is really to
Getting out and riding on the bike seems
show you the value of using a USA Triathlon Follow Dave online at
to be much easier for me to get into. Living
Certified Coach. Working with Ken has really http://ironrookiedave.wordpress.com
here in Colorado Springs, where it just
been changing the way I train. Each day has
snowed two inches last night (I’m writing this
a purpose now and each day’s training is
in October by the way), it can be difficult to
far more efficient than it was before. For
find good days to get out on the road and get
example, we are starting to lift weights, and
The Annual Training Plan
in the mileage I need. Computrainer (www.
in the past I would spend an hour and a half
November 9
racermateinc.com) has provided a trainer for
to two hours in the gym. With a plan, I am
Official training begins
me to use for the project and we are posting
in and out of there in less than an hour. For
November to January
video on the blog about how to use one and
anyone who is time-crunched like me, using
Base building
its cool gadgets. In all seriousness, if you are
a coach should help you get more purpose
February to March
in a climate that requires you to be inside at
Volume Building
times, you need a Computrainer. Check out
End of March
the blog (http://ironrookiedave.wordpress.
Early season 10k to get the legs loose
com) to see some of the cool videos we are
April 26
Local Olympic Triathlon - Falcon Triathlon
April to June
Endurance building
May 31
Ironman 70.3 Kansas
July 25
Ironman Lake Placid
We added a couple of triathlons as tune-up
events to use as performance measurements.
Ken has strategically chosen these races to
allow time for recovery and still maintain
high volume for Lake Placid. Check out Ken’s
S.M.A.R.T. goals for me this year. Also, check
out the blog to see the training plan we’ll be
using and follow @ironrookie on Twitter. I will
give you my “on the record” and “not so on
the record” responses about my training. We
are also going to have special surprises and
contests via Twitter as training ramps up.
80 USA TriAThlon winter 10
USATTriWinter10pgs50-90.indd 80 12/9/09 3:44:53 PM
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140