Beer Drinkers Appreciation Society (BDAS) 2023 Mentor Group - ALWAYS OPEN (Page 108)

I assure you, I am not. Haha

@Nat, Nice solid month for you

@Grechen, 68 hours? Damn. That is impressive. Remind me how far away is your MiTi race? like, is this your peak load or are we going to see something 70+ next month?

@Mike, After what you went through last month i think 'underwhelming' but back training again is a big win.

Me. 2 very unimpressive Z2 treadmill runs so far this week, both followed by a stretchy session. Since last weeks progressive interval run my right leg has been highly uncooperative, so trying to make an effort to stretch things out/recover right before it becomes a real problem.

MiTi is still 9 weeks away, so likely June will be something like another 70 or so, depending on how much strength training I get up to. As we approach my A races, I was planning to knock back strength training so a maintenance level at 8 weeks out. Not sure yet what that looks like though.

9 weeks away, so around 6-7 weeks till your peak loads. There is a reason you have a reputation of being the training machine.

Re strength stuff, I do little to none, so am not a good influence at all. But, at such a high workload I wonder how much your strength work is contributing to keeping you injury free? For me, it's the first thing to get dropped, but what you're doing is clearly working for you so I would be nervous about cutting too much out, whilst simultaneously upping the SBR load.

Strength work is part of an overall yearly program for me, but it is constant as there are basic things I need to do around core work to even be active to any degree.  You all don't have my injury history (though Nicole is giving it a go... ), so you all probably don't need that basic stuff to even show up.

Typically over a season I do more strength work in the winter and early spring, and then back off into maintenance as I build volume getting up to A races.  Friel has whole sections in his publications around it, and he's taken some swags at guessing training load for it (I just use heart rate, it's easier).

I think it's a crucial part of any triathlete's program what "it" looks like is super-individualized based on need.

So that's a long-winded way for me to tell you I'm not sure, Gretchen.  (though I would probably guess ramp it down a little but keep consistently doing it).

Edited by jmhpsu93 2024-06-05 1:46 PM

Good to hear! Although a leaking valve sounds bad to me

Strength training, the necessary evil. Like Andrew, this is always the first thing to go for me. I have been struggling for years to include it in my training but can’t seem to manage more than 30-45 minutes a week, not even every week.

Tried on my own, at the gym or outside, tried classes, nothing works. I look forward to SBR training and enjoy it but lifting weights makes me lose the will to live, a bit like going to the pool. I’ve stopped going to the pool, life is too short to do boring things. I’d probably be a better swimmer if I swam all year round instead of just when the lake is warm enough but it’s no big deal, I can live with that. Strength training is a bigger deal. So important to prevent injuries.





Edited by Rollergirl 2024-06-06 2:31 PM

That's what we like to hear.

Stand by for a full blown redline effort at your next race to get that nationals spot sewn up.

Edited by bulfrog 2024-06-05 5:03 PM

60 minutes easy on the treadmill and a stretch last night. Up in the pre dawn this morning for a 75 minute outside run, with 50min@steady state.

There was much negotiation going on in my head and I almost rolled over back to sleep. But, coach Andrew won this round. Run was pretty tough, never felt great and was about 5-10s/km down on what I wanted. In zone, but right at the slow end. I've got a bit of a niggle in my right leg at the moment, which is part of the problem, but I've also just noticed my 7 day rolling total is up to 60km, 7hr 55min running. Which is huge for me in a week. So I think there is a lot of accumulated fatuige going on too.

Have a good day guys.

Mike - YAY!!! So glad there's nothing of too much concern, and now they know to keep an eye on that valve. That has to be a huge relief.

Andrew - I know a lot of parents and you are FAR more active than most of them. Keep it up! And congrats on another great month!

Gretchen - 68 hours...68 HOURS?! That is almost 2 full weeks of a full time job! So impressive!

Nat - I'm with you on strength. I know how beneficial it would be if I did it, but it's just so darn boring!

So I went to masters Monday night and they kicked my butt! 2000 yards in 45 minutes again. I felt really good though. Definitely felt the strongest I have yet, so the consistency is paying off. Otherwise have walked a few times, but need to do more core (see prior message about strength being so gosh-darn boring).

My groin was actually hurting after swimming Monday and I felt it pretty consistently until I went to PT yesterday. Can I just say that PT is MAGIC. I'm so happy I switched to this PT. She does scraping and cupping, and then does mobilization using a strap that's wrapped around my leg and around her body, and she manipulates my leg so the joint gets some stretch and lubrication. I felt 85% better after that session, and she showed me how I can do it to myself. I ordered some large resistant bands so am excited for those to show up.

My June has gotten a little less crazy. The bf is dealing with some big feelings around his separation. I kept asking if he was sure he wanted me there for a week. That's a long time to have someone in your space, and I think he needs to work through all this a bit more before we can really move forward. He finally realized it too and asked if I minded if we rescheduled. Honestly it was a little relieving for me b/c I had a feeling this was not the right time.
Instead I'm going to go to my parents this weekend, and then take some time to prep for India and get some last minute appointments in next week.

I also got cleared to play pickleball! I'm going to check with my ortho on Monday too, and hoping vball follows soon after (would love to be playing by July). Hamstring feels so much better and I have a feeling if I keep up with my exercises, my hip will follow right behind. Fingers crossed!

Another before dawn run this morning, abou 75 minutes again, with 8 x 600m (or 1,000 corgies) @ 5km race pace. Again struggled a little on some of the intervals but mostly a successful run. Am definitely carrying some fatuige though and looking forward to a break on the weekend.

Tomorrow is Mr 6-7s day, we're taking 11 children for rock climbing and pizza for that party, so should be a good time for all. My aim is to do an 80-90 minute 'long run' on the treadmill in the evening after all the festivities. Sunday, my turn. We'll be going out to a craft brewery for lunch/drinks with family and some friends. My aim is to do absolutely no exercise, and have a nice, relaxed day.

Yup, I definitely recognise the concept of needing to do more core, but it being highly unlikely... Maybe we need some sort of group strength workout challenge, Pushups/squats/time planking per day or something. Good that your PT is working. Finding the right one really is the key isn't it, I've had a couple over the years for injuries some we make great progress and get healthy ASAP, some of them were a waste of oxygen.

Sorry your week visit plans didn't come through. Hopefully it all works out for both of you in the long run

Have a good weekend everyone.

Glad you found a PT who helps you Nicole.

Enjoy the rest day Andrew, sound like you need it.


Yes, I am up for a group strength workout challenge, how would we go about it?

Happy birthday weekend to you and soon-to-be-Mr. 7!!! Love the goal, and think with, with the right mindset, and a bit of beer, you will 100% be able to achieve absolutely no exercise.

I am definitely down for this as well! Love this idea!

Definitely come back to masters!
Yes, coaches are the same, so Saturday morning (which is outside again!) is Joan. Monday evening and Friday morning are Kevin. The Monday evening workouts have been brutal (in the best way) and he hasn't been talking much (if that helps, lol). But the Saturday morning practices are always fun. It's 7:30-9:30 in the summer FYI
I'm actually bummed I'm missing it tomorrow, but chose home over swimming. Will be there Monday though.

Strength training is dangerous. Hurt myself doing some lunges downhill in the woods (slipped and stretched the back of my knee).
I don’t think it’s too bad but I’ll just swim tomorrow, no running or even biking, we’ll see how it feels on Sunday.

Bummer!

I'm up for a strength training challenge! As long as it doesn't involve planks...which is exactly why it SHOULD involve planks!

Race report is up for today's sprint!

https://beginnertriathlete.com/RaceLog/races-edit.asp?raceid=292239

I hadn't posted my goals. I was so busy right up to leaving that I didn't really have a chance. I set them, but anything more than that was just too much for me. Overall, race went really well. I think the course was a bit long in all the swim and run. Bike was right on the listed 12.4 mi. Swim I did 747 yds on an advertised 600m course (656yds) and my sighting was pretty spot on, so I think there was a bit of drift. Yesterday there were 30mph winds plus gusts, so you can forgive them for a bit of drift. Run was 3.25mi for a 5K course--no real excuse there!

Goals:
Swim 2:10/100 for 13:00
T1 8:00 (it is 0.55 miles from swim to bike mount line!)
Bike 18.5mph for 40:13
T2 5:00 (it is a big transition, but also I'm just leisurely in my transitions)
Run 12:30/mi for 38:45
Overall 1:44:58

Actual:
Swim 2:06/100 for 15:38
T1 8:15
Bike 19.6mph for 37:47
T2 3:20
Run 12:11/mi for 39:30
Overall 1:44:25

This race was a ton of fun. If you ever find yourself in Michigan during the second weekend in June, do this race! Or any of the races at the Grand Rapids Tri (offer Super Sprint, Sprint, Oly, Half for tri, duathalon, aquathon, and then also individual events for all distances in swim, bike, and run--super awesome variety of things to do).

My favorite moment of the race was on the back half of the bike when I was just absolutely crushing it and flying past people (nope--not being modest here at all!) and I'm cruising up to pass these two younger fit looking (i.e., archetypical triathlete body) guys (33 and 28yo) and I realize that I'm going to pass one of them while he is passing the other, so I'll be passing them both at the same time. I always announce my passes (I just think it is polite to let people know you are coming up behind them!) and so I yell out "on your left, boys!" A lady on her outbound trip let out a whoop! I liked that moment A LOT. It just feels like all the hard work I have put in over the last couple of years is really paying off.


Now...question for the group...especially anyone using power on the bike. I absolutely blew my bike away today and didn't really pay attention to power targets after like the first minute on the bike because that is when I realized I had forgotten to look at my sheet this morning and didn't actually know what my power targets were. I hit a new 20' power PR during this race. I know there is a 20' FTP test that no one does because riding all out for 20' is awful and no one paces it correctly so you end up falling off at the end. Should I use 95% of this new PR as my new FTP? It would be a (substantial) increase in my FTP (about 20w), but honestly I am thinking that I could have done it harder if I wasn't at least trying to hold back a little knowing that tomorrow I am going to race the HIM. I had already planned to do a ramp test the week after next when I'm in my rest week--it is time (clearly!). Thoughts?

I've already adjusted my power targets for tomorrow's race based on today's PR performance, which may be a bad idea, but that assumes I will remember those numbers tomorrow! Doubtful.

GR Triathlon HIM Goals
1.) don't forget pre-race protein shake at the hotel (like I did today!)
2.) remember to body glide neck so wetsuit doesn't chafe (like I did today!)
3.) don't fall off bike in a medium speed crash at the bike dismount line (as I did in 2022!)

Swim: 2:10/100 for 41:10
T1 8:00
Bike: 18mph for 3:06:40
T2 5:00
Run 13:00/mi for 2:50:18
Overall 6:51:08

2022 overall result was 7:18:24, so anything faster than that is a course PR, but I REALLY want to break the 7 hour mark on a HIM. I was close last year at the end of the season and I am stronger and in better shape than I was then (or, at least I like to think I am!). Thank you for reading my novella. If you track your books read each year (as I do), please feel free to give yourself credit for another!