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2014-09-25 7:50 AM
in reply to: scottjjmtri99

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Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly Focus Group - OPEN
Winter Training

I've completed my last hard session of the seans and have begun thinking about next year. My first race won't be until May / June time, so I'm looking for a training plan that I can follow up until about 12 weeks before my first race.
The ideal will be some kind of winter maintance plan and then 12 weeks before the race I start a more intensive 'speed' plan.
Does this seem like a good idea?
Does anyone have any winter training plans that they'd like to share. I've searched the web abd the one ones I've found have only been 4 weeks winter 'prep'.

Any help greatly appreciated.

On a seperate note - I'd like to add my thanks for keeping the thread running. None of my friends have any interest in tri's and it's great to swap ideas and hear others race reports. Hope this is kept open all year and into the next.


2014-09-25 10:28 AM
in reply to: burner2

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North Grafton, Massachusetts
Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly Focus Group - OPEN
Originally posted by burner2

My first 5K of the fall/winter season last Sunday. It was a pretty small race, with about 90 competitors total, ranging from 8 to 70+. I lined up right on the start line and took off as fast as I could when the starter gun went off. People immediately started passing me; I just focused on going as fast as I could and ignored them. After about two blocks, I was pretty winded and slowed down a bit to a more comfortable pace, and then the stroller moms passed me. For the first mile, it was pretty much people passing me as I ran as fast as I could. I know I wasn’t going fast, but I was going fast for me, and I didn’t let myself slow down. I kept up a pretty steady pace, alternating between running and race walking. I really pushed myself.

I wasn’t wearing a watch or anything, so I had no idea what kind of pace I was keeping, but I thought I was doing really well. However, when I crossed the finish line, the timer said 48 minutes and change, which was really depressing. I thought for sure it would be 40 to maybe 42 minutes at the most! I went and laid down in the grass while I drank a bottle of water and watched the other competitors slowly file in. I must have looked pretty depressed because one of the volunteers came up to see if I was OK, and I told her I was pretty discouraged with my time. And then she said the route was actually longer than 5K, but she didn’t know how long for sure.

After the awards ceremony, I jumped in my truck, drove home, grabbed my bike, and came back and rode the route to see how long it actually was. Yes, I drove 100 miles just to measure the race route! It was really important to me to see how I’d actually done because the thought of a 16-minute mile was pretty depressing after all the work and training I’ve done in the past seven months. Well it turns out the route is 3.36 miles long—a full quarter mile longer than a 5K! And that makes a big, big difference for a slow runner like me! Suddenly, my really crappy race turned into a personal best! The official results aren’t posted yet, but at 48 minutes and change, it means I ran between a 14:17 and a 14:34-minute mile pace, which beats my previous personal best during my last triathlon of a 14:57-minute mile pace.

So, that gives me a pretty good idea of where I stand right now with respect to my running ability. My next race is in five weeks, and hopefully, by then I will be able to increase my speed to at least a 14-minute mile, if not faster. My goal is to cut a half minute off my mile pace per month, which would put me at a 10-minute pace for next spring’s triathlons.

I know that some races go off the roads, but if your race is on regular paved roads then you might want to check out www.mapmyrun.com. It's pretty easy to use and is pretty darn accurate. Running to your computer is a heck of a lot quicker than driving 100 miles!

Congrats on your PR!
2014-09-25 1:56 PM
in reply to: 0

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Pacific Northwest, Washington
Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly Focus Group - OPEN
Originally posted by rjchilds8
if your race is on regular paved roads then you might want to check out www.mapmyrun.com.

Hey, thanks for the tip! I thought you had to have a smart phone to use that site, and my employer's too cheap to give me one. (And I don't want to carry two phones!) I plugged in the route, and it was pretty close. According to MapMyRun.com, it's 3.29 miles, while my bike said 3.36. I had a couple of hours to kill before my next obligation in the same area, so it really just cost me a couple gallons of gas, but still, this is great to use for future races! I've found that rarely a 5K is actually a 5K, and I'm kind of a stickler for recording distances and time.

Thanks again!

Edited by burner2 2014-09-25 1:57 PM
2014-09-26 8:39 AM
in reply to: burner2

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North Grafton, Massachusetts
Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly Focus Group - OPEN
Originally posted by burner2

Hey, thanks for the tip! I thought you had to have a smart phone to use that site, and my employer's too cheap to give me one. (And I don't want to carry two phones!) I plugged in the route, and it was pretty close. According to MapMyRun.com, it's 3.29 miles, while my bike said 3.36. I had a couple of hours to kill before my next obligation in the same area, so it really just cost me a couple gallons of gas, but still, this is great to use for future races! I've found that rarely a 5K is actually a 5K, and I'm kind of a stickler for recording distances and time.

Thanks again!

I use both mapmyrun.com and maymyride.com quite a bit. Although, they really are essentially the same. I like to map out the course for races that I am doing. I especially like to see the elevation profile so I have a sense of where the challenging hills are going to be. If I'm really interested in training for a specific course, I'll even map out the distances to the hills. Then, when I'm running on my treadmill, I'll change the incline of my treadmill to match the course. For example, if I know there is a decent hill at 0.8 miles, then I'll jack up the incline at that distance and sustain it for as long as the hill is on the real course. Of course, I can't make my treadmill decline, but that just means that is is a break during the race that I didn't get during my training!
2014-09-28 9:21 PM
in reply to: rjchilds8

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Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly Focus Group - OPEN

Got 2nd in my final race of the season today.  12th overall, but it feels a little hollow due to lack of a deep field and another disappointing run leg over those bridges.  That course in Melbourne kicked my butt again.  What a tough race!  The bike course is 2 miles long (27 total) and the run goes up and over that causeway bridge twice, so hot and humid on top of that.  Last year I thought i just had a bad day, but now I am thinking it is just a tougher course than I realized.

No excuses though, it will motivate me for next year.  Now to take some time off.  Let the off-season begin!

Full report up on the blog in a day or two.

2014-09-28 9:41 PM
in reply to: TonyAbbott

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Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly Focus Group - OPEN
Originally posted by TonyAbbott

Winter Training

I've completed my last hard session of the seans and have begun thinking about next year. My first race won't be until May / June time, so I'm looking for a training plan that I can follow up until about 12 weeks before my first race.
The ideal will be some kind of winter maintance plan and then 12 weeks before the race I start a more intensive 'speed' plan.
Does this seem like a good idea?
Does anyone have any winter training plans that they'd like to share. I've searched the web abd the one ones I've found have only been 4 weeks winter 'prep'.

Any help greatly appreciated.

On a seperate note - I'd like to add my thanks for keeping the thread running. None of my friends have any interest in tri's and it's great to swap ideas and hear others race reports. Hope this is kept open all year and into the next.


Tony,

I haven't developed a plan so much as an idea. I plan to continue to swim twice a week but decrease the volume and swim only 1600 to 2400 yards a week, bike once a week for 20-30 miles, and run 3-4 times a week but take out intervals, temp, and long runs and just run steady runs to maintain a base. I think next season I will continue with the sprint tris and start "workouts" in Jan. I may do a few road races for fun.

Nate


2014-09-29 9:04 PM
in reply to: Dominion

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Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly Focus Group - OPEN

My final race report of the season is updated to my blog if anyone wants to check it out.

Hope everyone is doing well.  

I apologize for being so busy lately with travel and life in general.  Will try to go back over the last few posts and get caught up as soon as possible.  

2014-09-29 9:09 PM
in reply to: TonyAbbott

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541
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North Grafton, Massachusetts
Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly Focus Group - OPEN
Originally posted by TonyAbbott

Winter Training

I've completed my last hard session of the seans and have begun thinking about next year. My first race won't be until May / June time, so I'm looking for a training plan that I can follow up until about 12 weeks before my first race.
The ideal will be some kind of winter maintance plan and then 12 weeks before the race I start a more intensive 'speed' plan.
Does this seem like a good idea?
Does anyone have any winter training plans that they'd like to share. I've searched the web abd the one ones I've found have only been 4 weeks winter 'prep'.

Any help greatly appreciated.

On a seperate note - I'd like to add my thanks for keeping the thread running. None of my friends have any interest in tri's and it's great to swap ideas and hear others race reports. Hope this is kept open all year and into the next.

I'm going to be taking it somewhat easy over the next couple months. I'll mostly be running only, with an occasional bike or swim mixed in. I've been focusing on really trying to lower my 5K time, but only running 2-3x a week. Once my flag football season is over in late November, I think I will go back into full on training mode. I want to try an Olympic distance event next year, so I need to start working on stretching out my distances. The swimming is a big jump from 0.25 - 0.33 miles for the sprint to about 0.91 miles for the Olympic. The run and bike distances basically double, too, so I need all the training time I can get to get up to those distances.

My first tri had a 600 yard swim, 14 mile bike, and 5K run. In terms of my overall time, I performed a little better than my goal time, but with mixed feelings since my swim was so bad (made up for with a good bike time). So beyond wanting to do the Olympic, I want to return to that race and improve both my swim and my overall time. I'd love to return to that race and get under 1:30:00. So my focus will be split between stretching out for the longer distances and improving my sprint speeds. Another reason I'm not taking much of a break this "offseason".
2014-10-01 4:23 PM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly Focus Group - OPEN

Originally posted by rjchilds8
Originally posted by Dominion What size bike frame is it? (sorry if I missed that somewhere already)  If your knees are in your chest then it could be that the bike is just too small.  At 5'10 you should be riding a 54 or 56 I would guess.  Those are common sizes and you should have no trouble finding some nice used bikes if you decide to go that route. You can get that $2K to $2500 bike for $1000 slightly used if you check around I bet.

Any type of adjustments could help the numbness situation, or make it worse.  You'll just need to play around with it a little.  Seat up or down, or slide it forward or back on the rails, that may give you a little more room to spread out if that is the issue.  Raising the bars as you mentioned might also help.  There really is no answer other than to make sure the bike is at least a decent fit for you and then try different things to see what works.  

To be quite honest, I don't actually know what size it is. I went back to look at my order and the description says that it has a 22.5 inch frame. The information said that size was good for someone between 5-8 and 6-2. Once I raised the seat, then it was much better and my knees didn't feel like they were going to knock me in the chin. I couldn't reach the ground from the seat, but I could reach without slamming the family jewels into the crossbar. LOL Someone suggested checking craigslist for used bikes, but I haven't found much in my area. Plus, I honestly don't really know what I'm looking for. I know I should find some better components than what is on my cheapo bike, but I don't really know what qualifies as "better". I got a test 3-month subscription to Bicycling magazine, but so far it seems like they only review the components at the far upper end of the spectrum. I just don't see me spending $300 or more on a seat! I just want a decent bike that doesn't weigh a ton, handles well, and shifts smoothly. I'd consider trying something with the aero bars, but it wouldn't be a requirement for me (yet).

Randy,

Sorry for taking so long to get back to you on this.

Keep checking craigslist, local shops, etc.  Something will come along.  

As far as components. Shimano road components go like this:  Dura-Ace, Ultegra, 105, Tiagra, Sora, 2300. (Best to worse)

My road bike just has a Tiagra RD and Sora shifters, cassette, and FD.  So clearly not top of the line, but it does fine for what I use it for.  When they wear out and it's time to replace I will upgrade to 105 level.  

My Shiv race bike has SRAM.  

SRAM goes  Red, Force, Rival and Apex.  Roughly, Red= Dura-Ace,  Force = UJltegra,  Rival = 105, Apex = Tiagra.  My Shiv is equipped with Rival. 

Hopefully this will help clear some of it up for you.

 



Edited by Dominion 2014-10-01 4:24 PM
2014-10-01 4:46 PM
in reply to: burner2

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Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly Focus Group - OPEN

Originally posted by burner2 My first 5K of the fall/winter season last Sunday. It was a pretty small race, with about 90 competitors total, ranging from 8 to 70+. I lined up right on the start line and took off as fast as I could when the starter gun went off. People immediately started passing me; I just focused on going as fast as I could and ignored them. After about two blocks, I was pretty winded and slowed down a bit to a more comfortable pace, and then the stroller moms passed me. For the first mile, it was pretty much people passing me as I ran as fast as I could. I know I wasn’t going fast, but I was going fast for me, and I didn’t let myself slow down. I kept up a pretty steady pace, alternating between running and race walking. I really pushed myself. I wasn’t wearing a watch or anything, so I had no idea what kind of pace I was keeping, but I thought I was doing really well. However, when I crossed the finish line, the timer said 48 minutes and change, which was really depressing. I thought for sure it would be 40 to maybe 42 minutes at the most! I went and laid down in the grass while I drank a bottle of water and watched the other competitors slowly file in. I must have looked pretty depressed because one of the volunteers came up to see if I was OK, and I told her I was pretty discouraged with my time. And then she said the route was actually longer than 5K, but she didn’t know how long for sure. After the awards ceremony, I jumped in my truck, drove home, grabbed my bike, and came back and rode the route to see how long it actually was. Yes, I drove 100 miles just to measure the race route! It was really important to me to see how I’d actually done because the thought of a 16-minute mile was pretty depressing after all the work and training I’ve done in the past seven months. Well it turns out the route is 3.36 miles long—a full quarter mile longer than a 5K! And that makes a big, big difference for a slow runner like me! Suddenly, my really crappy race turned into a personal best! The official results aren’t posted yet, but at 48 minutes and change, it means I ran between a 14:17 and a 14:34-minute mile pace, which beats my previous personal best during my last triathlon of a 14:57-minute mile pace. So, that gives me a pretty good idea of where I stand right now with respect to my running ability. My next race is in five weeks, and hopefully, by then I will be able to increase my speed to at least a 14-minute mile, if not faster. My goal is to cut a half minute off my mile pace per month, which would put me at a 10-minute pace for next spring’s triathlons.

Well that is an outstanding job!  I see races all the time that are not accurate.  I just don't see why an RD can't measure out 3.1 miles.  Keep us up to date on how the training is going.  It's good to see you remaining so driven and motivated.  Hell, you are inspiring me, and I was thinking it was supposed to be the other way around.    Also, good for you for ignoring the other racers.  Run your race and focus on what you need to do to reach your goals.  Great job!

2014-10-01 6:06 PM
in reply to: TonyAbbott

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Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly Focus Group - OPEN

Originally posted by TonyAbbott Winter Training I've completed my last hard session of the seans and have begun thinking about next year. My first race won't be until May / June time, so I'm looking for a training plan that I can follow up until about 12 weeks before my first race. The ideal will be some kind of winter maintance plan and then 12 weeks before the race I start a more intensive 'speed' plan. Does this seem like a good idea? Does anyone have any winter training plans that they'd like to share. I've searched the web abd the one ones I've found have only been 4 weeks winter 'prep'. Any help greatly appreciated. On a seperate note - I'd like to add my thanks for keeping the thread running. None of my friends have any interest in tri's and it's great to swap ideas and hear others race reports. Hope this is kept open all year and into the next.

First of all I would take a break.  (You may be doing that already).  Take at least a few weeks and rest, make sure you are mentally and physically eager and ready when it's time to start training again.  It sounds like your next race will be around May and have a plan to take you the last 12 weeks and now just need something to get you from here until February?  



2014-10-01 8:12 PM
in reply to: Dominion

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Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly Focus Group - OPEN

It has been my desire for some time now to try my hand at offering a coaching service.  I intend to do this on a part-time basis and offer a very affordable option to those looking for multi-sport coaching.  I'm not looking to make a living or even much money doing this, but I feel I have the knowledge and experience to help others maximize their potential and reach their goals.  So now that the 2014 racing season is over, I'll be turning most of my focus in that direction.  With that in mind, I am asking that if any of you know or come across anyone that may be looking for an affordable coaching option (and i do mean affordable!) send them my way, I would love to have the chance to have a discussion with them.  I've added a new blog link to my signature.  The blog page has a little more information and an email where I can be reached.  Any help with this would be appreciated.  Anything you think I should add or change?  Thanks for any feedback.

2014-10-01 8:27 PM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly Focus Group - OPEN
monthly totals
SWIM 4h 36m 30s - 14100Yd
BIKE9h 14m 29s - 176.25 Mi
RUN8h 05m 47s - 56.60 M

Overall numbers up from last month but I was planning on another race, which I stratched. I starting my off season decrease last week. Only road races from here on out. Afraid to take weeks because it will be hard to start up again with my schedule.

Started working on my flip turns today.

Nate


Edited by nrpoulin 2014-10-01 8:28 PM
2014-10-01 8:39 PM
in reply to: nrpoulin

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Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly Focus Group - OPEN

Nice totals!

Here's mine for September.  Mine are down a bit, you can tell I had 3 races with lots of taper and rest this month. (especially run miles)

S: 11498 yds

B: 221 miles

R: 42 miles

2014-10-02 7:09 AM
in reply to: Dominion

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Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly Focus Group - OPEN
Originally posted by Dominion

Originally posted by TonyAbbott Winter Training I've completed my last hard session of the seans and have begun thinking about next year. My first race won't be until May / June time, so I'm looking for a training plan that I can follow up until about 12 weeks before my first race. The ideal will be some kind of winter maintance plan and then 12 weeks before the race I start a more intensive 'speed' plan. Does this seem like a good idea? Does anyone have any winter training plans that they'd like to share. I've searched the web abd the one ones I've found have only been 4 weeks winter 'prep'. Any help greatly appreciated. On a seperate note - I'd like to add my thanks for keeping the thread running. None of my friends have any interest in tri's and it's great to swap ideas and hear others race reports. Hope this is kept open all year and into the next.

First of all I would take a break.  (You may be doing that already).  Take at least a few weeks and rest, make sure you are mentally and physically eager and ready when it's time to start training again.  It sounds like your next race will be around May and have a plan to take you the last 12 weeks and now just need something to get you from here until February?  




Thanks for all the replies. The consensus is to take a break for a couple of weeks then do basic fitness training without too much intensity. I shall try that but I'm very competitive with myself so it'll take some discipline to 'relax' for a couple of weeks.

Chris - yes that's exactly right. I'll use one of the existing plans to form the basis of training 12 weeks prior to my race in May. So I'm looking at what to do from, say mid Oct till Feb.
My bike is very weak so I might try and do a couple of spin classes a week - do you think that would help. Due to family and work I struggle to get out on the bike at all in the winter.

Thanks - Tony.
2014-10-02 7:09 AM
in reply to: Dominion

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Americus, Georgia
Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly Focus Group - OPEN

Randy,

Sorry for taking so long to get back to you on this.

Keep checking craigslist, local shops, etc.  Something will come along.  

As far as components. Shimano road components go like this:  Dura-Ace, Ultegra, 105, Tiagra, Sora, 2300. (Best to worse)

My road bike just has a Tiagra RD and Sora shifters, cassette, and FD.  So clearly not top of the line, but it does fine for what I use it for.  When they wear out and it's time to replace I will upgrade to 105 level.  

My Shiv race bike has SRAM.  

SRAM goes  Red, Force, Rival and Apex.  Roughly, Red= Dura-Ace,  Force = UJltegra,  Rival = 105, Apex = Tiagra.  My Shiv is equipped with Rival. 

Hopefully this will help clear some of it up for you.

 



Right now on the www.steepandcheap.com gear cache, they are having a demo bike sale. The discounts aren't huge, but its better than nothing. If you aren't familiar with Steep and Cheap, their deals are only available for a very limited time; this particular deal 1 day and 17 hours left as I'm writing this at 8:10am, Thursday morning, EST.
Good luck!!


2014-10-03 8:04 PM
in reply to: Dominion

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541
50025
North Grafton, Massachusetts
Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly Focus Group - OPEN
Originally posted by Dominion

Randy,

Sorry for taking so long to get back to you on this.

Keep checking craigslist, local shops, etc.  Something will come along.  

As far as components. Shimano road components go like this:  Dura-Ace, Ultegra, 105, Tiagra, Sora, 2300. (Best to worse)

My road bike just has a Tiagra RD and Sora shifters, cassette, and FD.  So clearly not top of the line, but it does fine for what I use it for.  When they wear out and it's time to replace I will upgrade to 105 level.  

My Shiv race bike has SRAM.  

SRAM goes  Red, Force, Rival and Apex.  Roughly, Red= Dura-Ace,  Force = UJltegra,  Rival = 105, Apex = Tiagra.  My Shiv is equipped with Rival. 

Hopefully this will help clear some of it up for you.

 



No worries, Chris. I'm not ready to go out and purchase anything just yet, but the info certainly helps. I talked to a co-worker that is a into cycling and he recommended sticking with Shimano. He said he switched to SRAM at one point and wished he hadn't. I'm just going to have to keep reading and researching. Oh, yeah, and looking for deals. There is a Trek bike shop close to my new house. I might go down there and just have a chat with them and see what kind of information I can glean from a conversation about gear and components. Maybe I'll see about a fitting while I'm there, not sure if they'll just do that for free.

In the meantime, I'm making small, incremental progress on my 5K time. Ran 25:52 tonight! I know that's slow by your standards, but that's fast for me. I haven't ever finished 5K that fast under any conditions (road or treadmill). It wasn't in a race, but that's a PR for me! I still have just about 2 weeks to go before race day. I'm not sure if it's realistic to drop another 22 seconds in that 2 weeks, but I'm going to go for it!
2014-10-04 1:34 AM
in reply to: Dominion

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Pacific Northwest, Washington
Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly Focus Group - OPEN
S: 10,160 yards
B: 124.19 miles
R: 33.83 miles

It gets dark pretty early here in the mountains now, so there’s not a lot of time to ride after work. I’ve added a lot of blinkies to my bike and wear a reflective vest, but it still makes me a little nervous. Before the month is over, I’ll be a weekend rider only. I’ve switched from primarily riding my street bike to my mountain bike as it’s heavier and I think it will give me a harder workout on my shorter rides. And, since I sit up a little straighter, it’s easier for me to see and hear traffic.

I’ve changed my focus to 5K runs for the winter and have signed up for one a month from now through May. Running continues to be a frustrating struggle for me, so I’m trying different things and targeting specific problem areas. Photos from my last two events show I run like a neanderthal, all hunched over, staring at the ground, so I’ve been focusing on my posture, and I’ve seen some improvement. I also still struggle with lifting my left foot high enough to actually clear the ground, and I’m wondering if ankle weights might help, but I haven’t managed to find any yet that fit.

I’m still swimming a lot as water and its lack of gravity helps counter the effects of running. Plus, the hot tub at the pool! The nice thing is the pool is pretty empty in the evenings now, so I’m no longer having to scowl at the little kids to keep them out of the swim lane and off the rope. I’m doing longer swims, too, and concentrating on form and kicking. And, I plan to learn the flip turn this winter.
2014-10-04 8:55 PM
in reply to: burner2

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Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly Focus Group - OPEN
went for a run this week without my quick laces and my foot felt a lot better. Hope this is a good sign for the rest of the winter. Still plan to try the Hoka one ones. cutting the distance back has allowed me to go a little faster. fun run tomorrow.

started swimming with flip turns this week. only on the deep side, but went well.

also only biking on the weekend

Nate

2014-10-05 4:02 PM
in reply to: rjchilds8

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Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly Focus Group - OPEN

Originally posted by rjchilds8
Originally posted by Dominion Randy,

Sorry for taking so long to get back to you on this.

Keep checking craigslist, local shops, etc.  Something will come along.  

As far as components. Shimano road components go like this:  Dura-Ace, Ultegra, 105, Tiagra, Sora, 2300. (Best to worse)

My road bike just has a Tiagra RD and Sora shifters, cassette, and FD.  So clearly not top of the line, but it does fine for what I use it for.  When they wear out and it's time to replace I will upgrade to 105 level.  

My Shiv race bike has SRAM.  

SRAM goes  Red, Force, Rival and Apex.  Roughly, Red= Dura-Ace,  Force = UJltegra,  Rival = 105, Apex = Tiagra.  My Shiv is equipped with Rival. 

Hopefully this will help clear some of it up for you.

 

No worries, Chris. I'm not ready to go out and purchase anything just yet, but the info certainly helps. I talked to a co-worker that is a into cycling and he recommended sticking with Shimano. He said he switched to SRAM at one point and wished he hadn't. I'm just going to have to keep reading and researching. Oh, yeah, and looking for deals. There is a Trek bike shop close to my new house. I might go down there and just have a chat with them and see what kind of information I can glean from a conversation about gear and components. Maybe I'll see about a fitting while I'm there, not sure if they'll just do that for free. In the meantime, I'm making small, incremental progress on my 5K time. Ran 25:52 tonight! I know that's slow by your standards, but that's fast for me. I haven't ever finished 5K that fast under any conditions (road or treadmill). It wasn't in a race, but that's a PR for me! I still have just about 2 weeks to go before race day. I'm not sure if it's realistic to drop another 22 seconds in that 2 weeks, but I'm going to go for it!

Randy,

I honestly think you can't go wrong no matter which way you go.  I mean they both do what they are supposed to do.  Having Shimano on my road bike and SRAM on the tri bike, I think I like the way the SRAM shifts better.  (Of course my Shimano stuff is bottom level, so if I was running Dura-Ace I might feel differently, don't know)  That being said, whether it was Shimano or SRAM would not be a factor in whether I bought a bike or not all else being equal.

2014-10-05 7:07 PM
in reply to: burner2

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Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly Focus Group - OPEN

Originally posted by burner2 S: 10,160 yards B: 124.19 miles R: 33.83 miles It gets dark pretty early here in the mountains now, so there’s not a lot of time to ride after work. I’ve added a lot of blinkies to my bike and wear a reflective vest, but it still makes me a little nervous. Before the month is over, I’ll be a weekend rider only. I’ve switched from primarily riding my street bike to my mountain bike as it’s heavier and I think it will give me a harder workout on my shorter rides. And, since I sit up a little straighter, it’s easier for me to see and hear traffic. I’ve changed my focus to 5K runs for the winter and have signed up for one a month from now through May. Running continues to be a frustrating struggle for me, so I’m trying different things and targeting specific problem areas. Photos from my last two events show I run like a neanderthal, all hunched over, staring at the ground, so I’ve been focusing on my posture, and I’ve seen some improvement. I also still struggle with lifting my left foot high enough to actually clear the ground, and I’m wondering if ankle weights might help, but I haven’t managed to find any yet that fit. I’m still swimming a lot as water and its lack of gravity helps counter the effects of running. Plus, the hot tub at the pool! The nice thing is the pool is pretty empty in the evenings now, so I’m no longer having to scowl at the little kids to keep them out of the swim lane and off the rope. I’m doing longer swims, too, and concentrating on form and kicking. And, I plan to learn the flip turn this winter.

Well it looks like you have given the winter a lot of thought and put a plan of action in place.I don't know that I'd recommend ankle weights though.  Just concentrate on your stride and posture.  You want to run with a nice forward lean, but not bent from the waist.    Don't worry about pace or speed over the winter. Take care of the mechanics and a faster pace will come.  It just takes time.  (Usually longer than we think it should



2014-10-05 8:05 PM
in reply to: burner2

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Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly Focus Group - OPEN
Originally posted by burner2

S: 10,160 yards
B: 124.19 miles
R: 33.83 miles

It gets dark pretty early here in the mountains now, so there’s not a lot of time to ride after work. I’ve added a lot of blinkies to my bike and wear a reflective vest, but it still makes me a little nervous. Before the month is over, I’ll be a weekend rider only. I’ve switched from primarily riding my street bike to my mountain bike as it’s heavier and I think it will give me a harder workout on my shorter rides. And, since I sit up a little straighter, it’s easier for me to see and hear traffic.

I’ve changed my focus to 5K runs for the winter and have signed up for one a month from now through May. Running continues to be a frustrating struggle for me, so I’m trying different things and targeting specific problem areas. Photos from my last two events show I run like a neanderthal, all hunched over, staring at the ground, so I’ve been focusing on my posture, and I’ve seen some improvement. I also still struggle with lifting my left foot high enough to actually clear the ground, and I’m wondering if ankle weights might help, but I haven’t managed to find any yet that fit.

I’m still swimming a lot as water and its lack of gravity helps counter the effects of running. Plus, the hot tub at the pool! The nice thing is the pool is pretty empty in the evenings now, so I’m no longer having to scowl at the little kids to keep them out of the swim lane and off the rope. I’m doing longer swims, too, and concentrating on form and kicking. And, I plan to learn the flip turn this winter.


running drills like high knee, strides, lunges, high kicks, ect may help with aspects of form. Keep your shoulder relaxed and about a 90 degree angle at the elbow. Would also avoid the ankle weights.

Nate
2014-10-05 8:16 PM
in reply to: Dominion

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Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly Focus Group - OPEN
Ran a 5k fun run today at my sons school as a fundraiser. First 5k I can remember running for at least 15 years outside of a triathlon. 23:19 was significantly slower than 15 years ago (17 and change) but I am really happy with my time. I ran hard but tried to pace myself. Stayed a couple of strides behind a guy with a tri shirt and then passed him with a mile to go. He stayed a couple strides behind me and we finished together. Think I could have gone harder, especially if there was a better field (wife thinks I finished 5th overall). I think the course was accurately measured as the school has a cross country team. Not sure if it was because it was off road or the change in laces, but my foot felt fine. Hope to get another 5K in soon.

Nate
2014-10-05 8:18 PM
in reply to: nrpoulin

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Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly Focus Group - OPEN

Originally posted by nrpoulin went for a run this week without my quick laces and my foot felt a lot better. Hope this is a good sign for the rest of the winter. Still plan to try the Hoka one ones. cutting the distance back has allowed me to go a little faster. fun run tomorrow. started swimming with flip turns this week. only on the deep side, but went well. also only biking on the weekend Nate

Let us know how you like those Hoka's.  The guy at my local shop said they are about to start carrying them.  I may go in and try a pair on just to see what they feel like but likely won't buy any at $150.

2014-10-06 9:47 AM
in reply to: Dominion

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Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly Focus Group - OPEN Tri for the Pool
Competed in my final Tri of the season yesterday. Chilly and windy morning. Thankful the swim started in the pool! 300m swim, 20k bike (13.5mi), 5k run (3 mi). I arrived at the school right at 7am. It was a balmy 41 degrees. Once through registration I setup my transition area and got my markings and ankle strap. Due to the cooler than expected weather we were given the option to go into the locker rooms to change and proceed to the transition area. I opted not use the locker rooms, figuring I would warm up on the bike when the time came around.

It finally comes time to get seeded for the swim. The swim is 6 laps in the pool swimming up and down every lane. I seeded myself in the 8 minute group with hopes of being slightly faster. After all, its a pool swim vs open water and I didn't have to worry about sighting. It comes to my turn to go and things go well. Once I learn to flip turn, I'm sure I can jump up another minute in the seeding process. Swim goes well, I actually caught up the guy that jumped in 20 seconds before me and finished the swim in 7:26. Entering T1 I was pleasantly surprised by how much it warmed up. It felt warmer than at 7am anyway. I did have to put on my shirt which was a longsleeve with my bib number pinned to it. Lost a little time there, otherwise a relatively smooth T1.

The bike portion started out well. First 3-4 miles I was cruising at 25mph according to my gps, then I hit a wall of wind and powered my way through for what felt like the rest of the course. There was one other stretch with the wind on our backs, but it had a steady hill to climb (small, but still made ya work some). I didn't get passed on the bike and had the 7th best bike time of 43:46 for what turned out to be 13.5 miles. T2 went okay. Had a slight hickup exiting. I turned to go back out the bike exit and a volunteer yelled and caught me before I got anywhere.

The run went fast. I'm so used to running 10k's that I couldn't believe the run was over after 3 short miles. I cruised through the run course for a time of 22:02 and had the 3rd best run time. My overall time was 1:17:42, good for 1st in my age group and 7th overall. What a great way to end the season and looking for even better things next year! I was even able to cheer on some of my buddies that showed up for the race. It was a lot of fun. I'm hoping that they were able to raise enough money to keep the pool open and have another one next year to help keep it going.



Scott



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RELATED ARTICLES
date : November 23, 2010
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I want to follow the Winter Maintenance-Run Focus program (8 weeks), but don't know when to start. I also want to do the Intermediate Sprint-12 week program before my first race.
 
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I just started doing tris this summer and I have two under my belt, both sprints. Is it reasonable to build up for a Oly in early ‘09, with a HIM in Oct of ‘09
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