UTTRIMAN's Group - FULL

WELCOME to the group joyjoy and kcguy!  

Glad to have both of you aboard!  I'm excited to work with you and help you fall in love with this wonderful sport called TRIATHLON!  We'll have a great time working together I'm sure!

To start, here's a couple of housekeeping things that will help us work and play together!

First, EVERY workout should be logged on your blog.  This will help you to see and track your progress, plus help me to help you!   You'll note that there are "other" sports listed as well.  Include this time in your blogging also. 

Second, add me, and our other team mates as buddies on your other blogs list.  That will make it easier for each of us to keep in touch with each other.  It's easy that way to "inspire" each other!

You both seem to have similar backgrounds and that will be good! 

Looks like you both have some basic goals in mind.  That's the great first step.  Next step, to help me help you is to think about how many days a week you want to workout.  We all have busy lives, but we need to set some training goals.  If it's 2 days -- great!  If it's 6 -- that's fine too.

Know you can always send me a PM anytime you want with  any questions you may have, or we can communicate b way of this forum or inspires.  At anyrate, we'll work hard together so your first race is a GREAT experience.

Welcome aboard, and -- HAPPY NEW YEAR, and more importantly, HAPPY NEW YOU!

Happy New Year, Team!   Have you been thinking about training goals?

Take some time today, and think about a short term goal for the Month of January.  It might be to swim 100 yards non-stop or run 5k in 24 minutes.  Think of a reasonable goal, set it, and then we'll work on getting you to it.

The other thing that is very important is your attitude.  If you think you can swim 100 yards, you can.  If you think -- I can't -- well, you won't.  I have confidence that you can do whatever you plan.

Put your goals on our blog page here, and if you need help setting them, drop a PM to me and let me know.  We'll work together and figure something out.    I also recommend once you have the January Goals made, Put them on your blog page as short term goals.  Remember --  a goal not written is only a wish!

Happy New Year -- Let's have some fun!

Welcome to the Group NEZZA -- Glad to have you aboard.

Sounds like you're making good progress on your running, and the biking is not doing to bad as well.   We need to get you in the swimming pool obviously, but that can be done.

You're going to have a great time in this sport.  Congratulations on making the committment to get into better shape and health!

Take a few minutes, read my previous instruction posts above, and take those steps.   Be thinking about some January training goals specifically.  That's the key right now.  We need to work on taking the first steps, and then make sure that we have a "goal" race for you to start working toward.  I find I keep my training committments much better if I have a race I've spent money to register for, because I then know if I don't do it, I've tossed that money down the tube!

Welcome aboard, and Happy Training!

Welcome KrisMarie!  What part of Minnesota do you live in.  I used to live in the southern suburbs of Minneapolis until job transfer sent me to Utah.

Take a look at the other teammates, and lets get you rolling --  Great to have you with us.

Be thinking of some short term goals for January, and I'll see if I can find a good race for you to enter in Minnesota.

Welcome Kris!

All Right Gang!  You've made some good goals!   Now to make them fun.   We'll have a little contest.  To the victor, the spoils  (and I'll let you know what the spoils are-- but I promise, the spoils of better fitness and lifestyle far outweigh them!)

Looks like we've got a couple of predominate themes developing here as far as goals are concerned.    1.  Everyone wants to improve their running, 2. Most are planning on FLAILING (I do it well!) in the pool.  and 3) many are needing bikes.  All good.  Now to attack!

1. Running:  Each of us (myself included) needs to run a MINIMUM of twice a week.  Three times is better.    KrisMarie commented about using time as a training guide as opposed to distance.  That is certainly one approach, and it has it's merits.  For me personally, I prefer distance, since I'm training to cover a specific distance.  But that's me.   Actually, as you progress, you'll start to think -- HMM -- guess I've got about 45 minutes for a run -- guess I'll run 4 miles (or however far you can run in 45 minutes)--  so it comes out in the end.

For now, let's focus on runs of 5k or 30 minutes.  Everyone has posted a goal of about a 30 minute or so 5k.  10 min/mile on 5k = 31 minutes, so that's ann EXCELLENT starting point, and for most VERY acheiveable.  For the month of January, our team goal is at least two-5k or 30 minute runs per week, just cover the distance.  You do NOT have to run the entire distance.  One very good approach is the run/walk method.  Start out running 5 minutes, followed by a walk of 2 minutes... eventutally you'll get to walk 1 minute every 10 (if thats too long without a walk, no problem).   And then, as race day approaches, you'll run the entire 5k (since we're all working on a sprint distance race).  With this approach, handled carefully -- you'll be amazed at how fast you'll improve.   Now, speed on the run.  These runs should be done with the "talk test" in mind.  Run at a pace that you can, with reasonable ease, recite the Pledge of Allegiance to yourself. (Nezza, we know you're in the UK, so you can use the first verse of God Save the Queen, or somehing of similar length).  Basically, you should be able to carry on a simple conversation with you or a running companion without too much huffing and puffing.

2-Swimming:  For the first week, just get in the pool and go for a swim.  Invest in a decent swim suit (competitive styles are best) and a pair of goggles that fit well without leaking.  That's really all you need to start.  Try to swim 50 yards or meters without stopping.  I don't care what stroke, just get comfortable in the water.  Do this at least twice this week and spend at least 30 minutes doing it.  Keep track of your yardage completed for the total workout, and how far you can go nonstop.  If you're going to take swim lessons, EXCELLENT.  Make sure you have a good coach.   As for the Total Immersion program, it's excellent for learning to "survive" the swim, but I'm personally not a big fan.  Many swear by it.  I just am lucky to have a great swim buddy, so he coaches me well (and I'm a SLOW learner!). 

3- Bike -- Much of the determining factor on a bike is this:  "HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT TO SPEND".  You can go anywhere from about $300 to $10,000  --  There does become a point of diminising returns.  I personally ride a bike that I paid about $600 for and it does me great.  My training buddy rides on a bike that he paid literally $349 bucks for and he's come in in the top 3 in several of his races, and almost always in the top 10.   My suggestion, don't spend a lot now, you'll have plenty of time to invest in a more expensive bike in the future if you want to.  If you can afford $1000 that's a good number, and you will get a respectable bike.  If you can spend $300-- there are decent bikes in that price range as well.  EBAY is a great place to pick up good values on bikes.  I don't know how "bike savy you are as far as components are concerned, but that comes in time as well.  I have another friend who on ebay picked up a $2000 bike for about 1200.  So there are good bargains out there.  Many do their first triathlon on the mountain bike they bought at wal-mart 5 years ago.  I do recommend getting a road bike if you have the means though.  You'll be more comfortable and successful in the long run.  I'll PM you that are looking for bikes a couple of good sources to consider.

4- Report often.  Make sure you blog daily your workouts. If you don't workout on a given day, note that you took a rest day.   Use my blog as an example.  Include how you felt the workout went.  Remember -- go into EACH workout with a specific goal to accomplish that workout.  Maybe it's run 6 minutes before walking, maybe it's swim 100 meters non-stop.  Have a goal in mind.  It definately will help you progress faster and better.   To many of us go into a workout with no plan.  Then we don't work as hard, and we don't accomplish near as much, and frequently, we give up on trying period.

Now the contest.  We all know your goals and the suggestions.   Now attack.  Goal is to be the team member who misses the fewest workouts and meets their goals.  On your blog in the short term goals section, list your goals for this month for us all to see.  Be the team mate who inspires the others most using the inspire me functions.   As we inspire each other, we build accountability to each other, and thus our motivation will stay higher.. Let's make this fun.  It should be.  We'll work hard, but let's make it fun along the way!

GO TEAM!

Happy workouts!

Welcome Kristen!  You'll round out our group nicely!  Glad to have you on board!  What part of the globe do you come from?

Hockey huh -- what position?  I took up the game as an adult -- don't play nearly often enough now, but really enjoy it!  Forward here.

TY-- We'll bend the rules a little and welcome you in -- this could be fun -- three guys, and three gals!  Would love to have you join our merry band of triathletes!  We're closing the group now that we actually have six of us, but that's ok -- we're gonna have a great time!

To the both of you, read through the posts above and take the steps we've talked about to this point!   That'll get you all caught up.

To all of the gang, please be sure to add TY and Kristen to your friends list.   Makes it much easier to encourage each other when you can simply click on their names and have their blog come up!

So we have -

UTTRIMAN --- Brett  -- Salt Lake City

KCGUY --  Danny -- Kansas City

joyjoy --  Joy -- where do you live?

nezza - Neil -- Kent, UK

KrisMarie - Kristin - Minneapolis Area

hamiltks10 -- Kristen -- Where do you live?

tyutahman -- Ty -- Utah

WELCOME ALL !

Now -- one last detail -- Nominations are now open for a team name -- UTTRIMAN's group doesn't have much of a Ring to it.