Training volume Update--30 weeks in

Here is an update on my training volume over the first 30 weeks of 2021....

First to put things in perspective, here is a summary of my training volume and average speed going back 10 years or so:

A couple of observations:

1. There is no 2015 data as I had my major back issues that year and generally took the year off to recover/rebuild.

2. Note how my swim volume fell off post 2015, with this year on track to pre-2015 levels.

3. My recent bike emphasis (bike monster) is quite evident.

4. The dramatic reduction in run volume this year really stands out.

5. Principally due to the later, my total training time is down quite a bit vs. 2019/2020.

6. Speed-wise, my swim has been pretty consistent since 2016.  I do appear to generally have swum faster prior to my back problems.

7. Even with the increase in bike volume, my average speed has increased over the last three years.  While I don't have the same top-end speed I had 10 years ago, there is no question that my time investment into biking is keeping my bike pretty competitive.

8. The run numbers are really impacted by the amount of hiking/climbing that is rolled into them (I count both under "RUN" since I've done a lot of both, especially after 2012.  The slow down that is evident beginning in 2013 is principally due to this run/climb mix change as I trained for the seven summit climbs.  The 2021 number however is largely run only (not climbing this year) and you can see how I've lost nearly 4 and a half minutes per mile over the last 10 years--yuck!

9. The 2021 volume numbers are annualized and I suspect my actuals will be quite a bit lower as my season effectively ends in mid October after KONA and then I am planning to have my knee replaced.

I'm also tracking how my weekly training volume (displayed as trailing 4-week averages) compares to 2012 and 2014 (two of my three Kona years--I don't have the data in as much depth for 2010):

First, in terms of Total Training Time, note how my weekly volume has generally run higher than 2012/2014 but has fallen behind over the last 5 or so weeks.  This is in-part driven by a number of work and personal factors but has become a bit of a concern to me.  I would like to raise my average as I get later into August and then early September back up to near 25-hours/week.

This recent fall-off is especially evident in my swim.  Some of this was due to Eagleman and my taper/recovery for it, a driving trip to/from Kansas, and the most recent dip is a function of my bike crash in the Lenape race (more on that in a subsequent post).

With my "bike monster" orientation, I've been generally ahead of 2012/14 with a bit of recent softness.  I intend to re-up my effort in the weeks ahead...

And finally the run.  Th big blip up in 2014 is principally a lot of trekking/climbing.  Absent that, in 2012/14 I generally was able to sustain about 20-40 miles/week of running and you can see that I have trouble sustaining even 10 miles/week this year.  So not only do I not do much running, I do it very slow and this of course is why I basically suck at running!

Lastly, I think it's useful to look at my cumulative volumes over time:

First, total training hours.  In spite of my concern about my recent training volume, I do in-fact invest more time training now then I did back in 2012/14 and this should be reassuring.  Of course, what really matters is the training in the last 12-14 week build period win front of the IM so I do what to look more closely at that and make sure I'm doing an appropriate amount of work to get ready for Kona.

My swim efforts, after my traditional slow start at the beginning of the year have been relatively strong.  You can see the impact of my bike crash in the recent week but I expect that to turn around this current week and going forward.

My "bike monster" approach is evident below.  I think I work harder than just about anybody else my age (that I know).  I know, I get a bit nervous when my weekly volume drops below 250-300 miles during the summer and at this moment, I feel the need to ride more despite what this graph says.

This run chart needs no explanation....