As far as training goes, to say that March was not the month I expected it to be would be an understatement. After two months of horrid weather and relatively low volume (but high intensity), March was designed to be a transition month into race specific prep for Ironman Couer d'Alane. Total volume would increase while intensity would continue, but with more emphasis on long interval sets.
What actually happened is my right meniscus has a small but painful tear which requires surgery. As a result, any planned racing for the first half of the year is not going to happen (including IMCDA). While I had a great plan coming into 2014, shit happens and things change. I have a general idea of what I want to do in the back half of the year to get ready for IM Florida, but need to see how surgery goes and how fast I'm able to start training again. My plan is to be very conservative and err on the side of doing less. You can read more about it here.
With that said, here's how the month of March worked out:
Strength Training: March is a transition month. I still strength train 2x per week, but less volume and less emphasis on continuously adding weight to basic exercises. With knee issues I moved away from basic squats and into single leg movements. I'm still deadlifting. Core work increased slightly over February.
Swim: Weekly yardage was up, with the exception of a swim recovery week in week three. Well, more like I was a bit bummed about my knee and used that as an excuse. That small transgression aside, I was able to hold my CSS pace at 1:21/100. On the surface this doesn't sound all that great. But ... and this is a big but ... unlike years past I haven't slowed down with the increase in bike miles (see below). Also, I have been doing some serious pull sets this year, which have been getting slowly but consistently faster. I'll call that a win in the pool.
Bike: March is a month I generally get approx. half my riding done outside and half inside due to weather and sunlight issues (gotta hate when work gets in the way). With the early daylight savings clock switch, riding before work doesn't really work until April, and in the evening I can't get onto the bike much before 6 pm on a good day. So what happens is I usually manage 1-2 days during the week outside and then both Saturday and Sunday. The other days are on the trainer. As it worked out the weekend long ride has been progressively longer, overall time in saddle has been where I expected, and HIIT sessions on the trainer have been effective. With the knee issue I haven't been as aggressive as I'd normally be, but I'm pretty much where I expected to be entering April.
Run: The month started out with two weeks of 3 runs per week with OK mileage and ended with an appointment with a surgeon. On March 9 I went out for a short recovery run and around 3.75 miles I felt a pain in my right knee. After consulting with my doctor it was concluded that either I reinjured the knee or the cyst that was in the knee area burst. A few weeks of rest would tell us what actually happened. On March 27 I did a short test run and the results weren't good. Needless to say I haven't run since.
Overall: If I were a pessimist I would certainly call March a disaster. When the highlights are sub-par training volume and being able to run, there's a problem. After facing reality and backing out of IMCDA due to the knee surgery I scheduled, I should be really, really bummed right now. But I'm not. I have chosen to take this setback in stride. After many years of training and racing without major injury it was my time. Please don't misunderstand, I am not happy about having my plans drastically changed. Believe me, I would like nothing more than to be outside running 30, 40, or 50 mile per week and preparing to race Ironman in June.
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I prefer to concentrate on the positive. My fitness is up, my swim is in good shape, and my bike legs are coming back. After recovering from surgery the plan is to slowly increase run mileage. The big goal for the year continues to be Ironman Florida and the time away from running, something that hasn't happened since I started seriously running in the mid-1990s, cannot be a bad thing. November 2 is a long time away.
Between now and then I will do what needs to be done to make sure I am fully prepared when I step into the Gulf of Mexico. Racing this year will be different that originally planned. Some planned races aren't going to happen while others will be on the schedule. Training will be different as well. I have a number of ideas for both ... just need to get through surgery and back out running before I can make any hard decisions.
Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon
Related Posts:
Ironman Training Review: February, 2014
Ironman Training Review: January, 2014
2014 - The Year for Ironman Racing
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