Left.Right.Repeat - CLoSED for the season - will reopen Jan 2013

I'd love to join!

I'll write more later. Knowing mav, she has shared how much support and fun she has with this group.

Hi Bryan,

I'm 47 and got interested in triathlon after reading "You are an Ironman".  I was a pretty good competitive swimmer through age groups and high school, but really haven't swum the last 30 years.  I've been doing weight training for three years, and ran 10-12 mi/wk up until last summer, when I started doing 35 mi/wk.  Of course I came down with a stress fracture in November after such a quick bump up in miles.  I've started back to running in the past week, and would like to be smarter about it this time. 

My goals are to do the Cincinnati Marathon on 5/6/2011, do several sprint triathlons over the summer and maybe finish with an oly tri.  Then in 2013 move up to oly's and a HIM.  The ultimate goal would be to do an IM sometime in 2014.  As a total newcomer to Tri's I'd love to join the group, as I'm going to need alot of advice.

John

Bryan,

Yea, so...I'm in. Sorta have to be after "left.right.repeat". It represents the challenge that I have and the culmination of getting there. I am eager to tri and I am a pure beginner to the sport. I am formerly a swimmer and a fairly good runner, thanks to the military. I am currently active duty Army, and have been in for over ten years. My goal, although I am new, is an IM. I am willing to work for the goals and look forward to the added motivation and great mentoring you can provide. Thanks in advance.

Cabana Dan

Hi Bryan,

I would love to join your group esp since I just read You are an Ironman!

Started triathlon last year, did a sprint and an international distance, was sufficiently bitten by the bug and am now signed up for the Rhode Island 70.3.  I will mail a bio later.

Pam

Originally the plan was a bric work out with the camp I am doing over the winter.  But, (you know the best laid plans and all that) my sitter overslept, and I can't make it on time.  Will bike 60 mins on the trainer while the kids are sleeping and then do a 20 minute run sometime later today.

Have a great run!

Good morning!  May I join your group?  

I am completely new to the site and to the sport. This Tuesday I decided to do a sprint.  I have been swimming and strength training on and off for about 6 months.   I followed the first week of the 2x balanced 16 week sprint training program and did okay.

Starting point:  I'm 40 years old, female, lawyer, mom of 1, 197 lbs. (just under my heaviest weight ever, but I've lost 10 pounds in the last month). I feel like my endurance is very good when I keep my heart rate around 155-160.

Backstory: I finished the Susan Komen 3-day a few years ago, and before the birth of my daughter (7 years ago) I finished some kind of long bike ride - probably a 60 mile not a century - so I have some hope that I can finish a training program and a sprint.  But I've never competed in anything before. 

I tend to overthink things. 

I have a supportive family and figure I can train up to 10 hours a week, but I don't want to rely just on what my husband is going to tell me.  He has done a triathalon, half marathons, climbs mountains, rides motorcycles, etc. and does not beleive much in moderation, pace, celebrating small steps, or rest. I respond to praise and tend to get discouraged easily. I'm looking for a group to encourage and motivate me.

Suzie

Yes, "Left. Right. Repeat." sounds like a cure for thinking.  Love it.

NAME: KathyG/Kathy

STORY:After losing weight the previous 1.5 years, I did my first tri in 2004 to prove to myself I had changed. My first tri I was full of fear. Over time my fitness improved, I became faster and in time slowly did longer tris. I find triathlon teaches me a lot about myself if I allow it to and can be great tool for personal growth. I race to challenge myself and help me keep focused in my training. Since 2004 I have done races about 50 of all distances including 4 IMs, participated in 3 other Iron distance races as biker in relay and done 2 IM aquabikes. I'm passionate about triathlons and the positives it brings both to my life and the lives of those I know.

I love to ride. I have quite a few bikes and enjoy racing cyclocross.

I see triathlon can be a amazing journey to self discovery if you allow it to be. The pleasure and joy I get out of s/b/r is amazing and life changing.

FAMILY STATUS: Married with 5 kids (13-22) & I turned 50 2 months ago

CURRENT TRAINING: With surgery 12/5, I'm in recovery phase. I will be on crutches 2-3 more weeks and was just given okay to swim easy. In 6 weeks I may be able to start working on fitness and getting back to more normal training.

I have worked with coaches since 2005. I do best when I have someone put together my plan with my input of what workouts fit best on what days and just follow the plan.  I like the technical aspect of tri training and have used a power meter since 2006.

PT, ROM cycling and easy swimming are my focus currently.

THIS YEAR'S RACES: 2011 had many obstacles. I gave up running in May as pain it caused my knee was effecting my day to day life. I did a few sprint as relay member as biker or swim/biker with my husband and daughters. I also did HIM AB in June, Oly AB in August and IM AB in September. I had registered to do both IMLP and IMFL to coordinate with turning 50 as IMFL would have been my 5th IM and was the day after my 50th birthday. I withdrew from IMLP but did participate in IMFL planning on walking the run if knee held up. My orthopedic surgeon was okay with the plan and I scheduled major surgery the following month.  I was able to finish the race and knee handled it okay. I had my leg realigned so that my weight would be on the part of my knee that has good cartilage as I have 3 bone on bone places. I had both TTO and HTO surgery both on my tibia so I had part of my tibia cut off and realigned to avoid patella pain and about 3-4" below knee joint tibia was cut almost through and wedge of 8.5 mm was made with plate and screws.

2012 RACES:  Once recovered from surgery, hope to get back to normal training. The only race I'm registered for is IMFL in November which I realize that my participation is a big question mark. If recovery and training goes well I hope to do some aquabikes prefer IM and HIM distance as well as some relays with my family. I may be able to start running but need to limit how much I do in order to avoid knee replacement as long as possible.

WEIGHTLOSS: Since 2003 I have lost and maintained big weight loss. I have lost up to 98 pounds and during off season tend to gain back 10-18 pounds. For me exercise that I enjoy is key to maintaining my weight.

OK, so here is my story, just turned 47, am a female physician working in the Medical Device Industry in a start up company.

I started training for tris in May after watching the finish line of St Anthony's in St Pete.  I was told that I could do this.  I used to be a competitive volleyball player, swam and ran as a kid, and being from Belgium I did not get a car till into my twenties as we biked everywhere.  I have to say what I remembered from my swimming days and my first swim after a serious gap of 20+ (maybe it was 30+ for swimming laps) years was eye-opening and swimming is not like biking...  That was a slightly ruder awakening than what I had hoped.  Luckily adding in biking training was a little easier.

I had been jogging for a few years as a way of keeping sane during a long drawn out divorce.  My GP recommended Prozac (or equivalent) but anti-depressive drugs are not an option for me.  (How are you supposed to know you are happy when you do not go thru the sad phases)  So I jogged a few times a week, until a friend told me we should do the Rock&Roll Nashville half marathon in 2009.  So I upped my mileage without any plan or moderation and promptly ran myself to double meniscus surgery in April of 09.  First week back to sports (labor day weekend 2009), I thought I should diversify and played tennis for the first time in 19 years, and ruptured my achilles tendon.     

2 years later I am happy to say I am back to normal.   After training for a few months, I did a sprint followed by an international distance.  And then (logically?) I signed up for the Rhode Island 70.3, I am doing the race together with my triathlete boyfriend which will be a ton of fun, I think  He is doing IMFL (his first IM), so I might volunteer there and if I survive the year without any injuries, the plan is to sign up for IMFL 2013.

Rhode Island was the only HIM that fit into my parenting plan (2 youngish kids)  and professional travel schedule.  I work from home (FL) which is great and travel to Europe every last week of the month.  That week I slow down because it is a trade off between sleeping or working out and being jet lagged sleep often wins.  While I try to get in 2-3 work outs running or or on the hotel's stationary bike, I have not tried finding pools to swim while traveling.

Because I have never actually ran a half marathon, I signed up for the ST Pete Half Mary on 12 Feb and am using a plan to monitor mileage, so far so good!  I also signed up for a winter tri camp locally.  My 26 week HIM plan starts Monday.  I am excited to be part of this group.  Sorry for the drawn-out bio...

Thanks for having me!

Pam

The 3 day has so much motivation.  What a party. For a week after I would walk down the street and be sort of put out that no one was cheering for me or handing me a sticker.  I had to fight the urge to dance across intersections.   I imagine a sprint tri is not exactly the same atmosphere.

Which brings me to some Newbie thoughts: Today was my first official "rest day" and I spent half of it thinking about the 20 minutes of running tomorrow.  I think I can, I think I can!  Does it still count if I break it up in to 4 minute intervals, with 2 minute walk breaks?  Will I get to the finish line of a sprint in 4 months if this is where I am now? I have absolutely no worries about the swim or bike, but the running is, um, not pretty. I like to jog but I don't like to wheeze or overheat, so I don't get my heart rate over 170. So I'm aiming to shuffle in at dead last and breathing easy (hey at the Komen 3 day when you are last you get to raise the flag!), but I would like to finish before they shut out the lights.  What is the cutoff time, generally, for each event? Somebody stop me before I think some more.