Alice Foeller's Badass Beginners & Enders - OPEN

NAME: Mike

STORY: I am not a triathlete, though did an Olympic tri 10 years ago on about 1 month of training - it nearly killed me. I loved swimming, biking, running, etc. Now I’m past 40 and feel the need to tri again.

FAMILY STATUS: Married with two kids, high school and elementary.

CURRENT TRAINING: Loaded a Garmin training plan, recovering from heavy cough.
Basically out of shape.

THIS YEAR'S RACES: 2021 None

UPCOMING YEAR'S RACES: 2022 - Austin Tri - Memorial Day

Goals: To see if my athletic life is over or not.

Name - Kris

Story - I'm what you could call an inconsistent triathlete. I love the sport and diverse community of people who train and compete. My biggest problem is training. Doing an actual race is no issue, except that I'm rarely properly trained for it. Between my work schedule and family life, I do have enough time to carve out a training schedule. I'm just really bad at it. And that's what I'm aiming to improve on. I have a couple of Sprint distance races and a 70.3 under my belt. But it's been a few years.

Family - Married with 1 adult child

Current Training - 20 week Trathlete Beginner 70.3 training plan. Incorporating yoga and recovery stretches/ rolling/ theragun. Not completely out of shape, but there's some work to be done.

2022 Races - Hawaii 70.3 June 4, Santa Cruz 70.3 September 11, Florida 140.6 November 5

Goals - Sub 6:30 for Hawaii, 6 hours or less Santa Cruz, Sub 12:30 Florida

Hi Mike! I love your summary. I'd say if you completed an Olympic triathlon, no matter how long ago, you are still a triathlete. Does your triathlon training plan from Garmin begin at a place that feels do-able? What does it say to do this week?

You live in Austin? I have a dear friend there. He's not a triathlete at all.

Hi Kris!
Looks like you have set some big hairy audacious goals to perhaps scare yourself into following the training plan? I tend to do the same thing. If I'm not scared of the distance, I don't train properly.
Thanks for using the BT training plan, that will help me see what's on your schedule. Do you usually train in the morning or after work?

Hey Alice,

I've never been one to wade into the deep end. I'm more of an all or nothing type of person. Sometimes that's a strength, other times it bites me in the rear. Either way... I'm all in.

My training schedule is pretty fluid. I work 14 days on and have 7 days off. On the 14 days I work, the first 7 days (week 1) I work in the am and train later in the day. On the second 7 days (week 2), I work afternoons and evenings. So of course I train in the am (which I hate). And then on my "week off", I just go with the flow depending on what family responsibilities and around the house chores I have. But generally I prefer afternoon trianing.

Alice,

The Garming plan is difficult in an easy way. There is a one hour bike/run brick, 40 min individual bike/run/swim. They are all at Z1 HR, which I cannot actually exercise at. Even the Z2 workout range provided is limited to 125. I need to recalculate or get a health check.

I live in the suburbs of Austin, but work downtown when the office is open.

Wow that sounds challenging. It's hard to get into a rhythm when your schedule changes each week.
I have a similar challenge but not as bad - I live with my kids at our house half the time, and then when their dad has time with them, I move to my new partner's house. I have different schedules and rhythms at each house, so that can get me off track sometimes.

Jumping into the deep end together! -

I hear you - I can also not run in Zone 1. I can bike (stationary bike) in Zone 1, but I am definitely at 135 or 140 even to run slowly. I've heard good things about following that kind of training zone plan, but I'm a little dubious. Does it sometimes have you do harder workouts when you can go up to higher zones?

It’s a lot of zone 1. There are minimal workouts that go above it, some tempo and interval in Feb at 3 and 4. I’ve always been too impatient for lower zones, maybe it’s good to pace at low HR? I’ll probably end up walking a lot to stay in the zone.

You could try one of our training plans from here at BT. (https://beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/training/trainingplans-list.asp) Most of them are not like that. But if you think the lower zone deal will really benefit you and get you ready, stick with it! I've never had luck because like you said, it's just a lot of walking. When I was pregnant they said I couldn't go over 140bpm, and I couldn't run at a lower HR, so I had to quit running and I was just very moody because running is what makes me feel good.

Thanks for the feedback! I spoke with dr. Google and found that the default HR zones on Garmin are based on age, which don’t match my actual HR max data. So I found a karvonen calculator and the zones are way different.

Default Karvonen
Z1 90-108 129-142
Z2 108-126 142-156
Z3 126-144 156-169
Z4 144-162 169-183
Z5 162-180 183-196

There’s an article on BT that talks about this too - https://beginnertriathlete.com/mobile/Article.html?articleId=405

The new low end seems a bit high to me, but I’m going to try out the training plan with these new targets and hope for results.

Brilliant!
That's a great insight and seems to provide a workable solution.

I did 7.8 miles outside today. I'm not used to running long runs in the winter. I was worried my camelbak would freeze up, but it was fine at 28 degrees. Duly noted.

Wow, that's impressive! I've run in Columbus in the winter and it was not fun! Before Covid, I travelled there quite frequently for work. I wonder if a bit of electrolyte (salt) might keep the pack from freezing at lower temps?

Wow, that's impressive! I've run in Columbus in the winter and it was not fun! Before Covid, I travelled there quite frequently for work. I wonder if a bit of electrolyte (salt) might keep the pack from freezing at lower temps?

Oh, I hadn't thought of that. That's a good idea. But then I would have to actually clean my Camelbak, wouldn't I? :-)
I've tended to stick strictly to water to avoid that chore, haha.

NAME: Cassandra

STORY: I'm turning 60 this year. I've been a triathlete since 2014. After my son died in 2006, my weight ballooned up to 317 pounds. During my recovery, I managed to lose about 30 or so pounds, but plateaued. In 2014, I "discovered" triathlons and signed up for my first. I had seven weeks to lose 40 pounds so I could fit into my wetsuit. Not only did I manage to do it, but I also placed second. And, in less than a year, went from a size 28 tent to a size 8 in a hot little mini skirt.

Fast forward four years and 32 triathlons, including Nationals and four Ironman 70.3 races. I just finished up my very best swim and very best bike at Ironman 70.3 Canada in Whistler. I handed off my bike to the handlers at T2, grabbed my gear bag, and hit the trail, super stoked at what would surely be my best finish ever. Almost immediately, I knew something was wrong. I couldn't figure out how to use my water bottle. And I couldn't run. I decided just to walk my first mile and give my body a break. That first mile became two miles, and then three miles, and then...13.1 miles and I crossed the finish line 45 minutes after the cutoff, completely broken and demoralized.

That was my last triathlon. In the 3 1/2 years since, I've changed jobs, moved across state, and had carpal tunnel surgery and two knee surgeries, the last being a complete knee replacement three months ago. And sadly, I'm edging back into plus size clothing.

Triathlons saved my life. I don't want to be back where I was. I know I might never run again, and I'm OK with that. I know I will never compete in Ironman races again, but I can do sprints. Sprints are fun. Sprints won't break my body, and they don't require the relentless hours of training that Ironman races require. And it's OK if I walk 3.1 miles. I don't care about winning anymore.

I want to be in this group because the camaraderie of my BT groups in 2014-2018 kept me focused, kept me going, and pushed me to be more competitive that I might have been otherwise. Moreover, although I'm no longer competitive with anyone but myself, I have a lot of experience that might benefit others. I've raced internationally and taken my bike on planes, trains, buses, and automobiles. I've placed first in my age group, came in dead last, raced with a broken foot, and have been pulled from a race (Ironman 70.3 NOLA in 2016. I don't count that one.). I've experienced mechanical failures and have been hit by cars.

FAMILY STATUS: Mom to a newly adopted feral tortoiseshell kitten named Mango for her little orange toes

CURRENT TRAINING: PT a couple times a week to strengthen my shiny new bionic knee. A lot of hiking, 60-80 miles a month, working up to 100. I live in a tiny house in a campground, so a pain cave is not an option. I'm finally able to ride a bike again, but my bike at the moment is an $85 Walmart "mountain bike" that I use around the campground, and it rains a lot here (PNW). And, I need to wait for the lakes to warm up a bit before I can do any swimming.

UPCOMING RACES: None planned at this point. I'm newish to the area and don't know what races are available yet.

WEIGHTLOSS: I really need to lose 40 pounds. I know how to do it. I just need commitment.

Oh my goodness, welcome Cassandra! Holy cow, what a story!
Welcome to the group. We're glad to have your expertise.

By when will you choose a sprint race and commit to it and start a training plan? Do you need a link to a race calendar?

I'm thinking the Black Diamond Sprint on July 30. It gives me plenty of time for open water swim training, and the 2.8 mile run is on an unpaved gravel path, very similar to the roads here at the campground. It should be pretty easy on my knees. The bike is pretty flat, too. I'm not totally unconvinced all the hill training I did on the bike in preparation for Whistler didn't contribute to the damage to my knee. I'm happy to not be tackling those big hills anymore.

I started my training plan today by picking up my hiking speed during my lunch break workout. I want to work on increasing it from a 20-minute mile to as close as I can get to a 15-minute mile. I also dropped off my bike at the shop today. It should be back by the weekend, and then I can start riding it regularly. It will work for training this winter, and then in May I can pull my road bike out of storage.

OK, great. When are you going to register for it?


Also, I encourage all of you to "subscribe" to this thread so you are notified when someone posts. It helps me to keep from forgetting about it.

I went to register for it this morning after clearing it with my physical therapist last night, and my USAT membership has expired. D'oh! It's been so long, I forgot all about that. I'll get it taken care of and register for the race this weekend.

However, I did sign up for the Fort Steilacoom Resolution 5K run series. It's four 5K races, one each month. I missed the first one, but it was virtual. The first in-person race is next Saturday. In my previous triathlete life, I did a lot of 5Ks and used them to stay focused on my training during the off season and also to improve my running skills, as that's always been my weak area.

I ran my first of three 5K races this morning. Since my knee replacement, I haven't been able to break a 20-minute mile, so that was the pace goal I'd set for myself, with a planned finish time of about an hour. I'm only three months and a week post op, and I want to take it slow so I don't damage my new knee. It takes a year for a knee to fully heal after a replacement.

I almost lost it when my phone announced I'd completed my first mile in 17:04. I had no idea I was walking that fast! It made me very happy. I completed mile two in 17:20, so my pace had slowed a bit. My knee was feeling great, so I picked up the pace a bit and completed mile three in 17:00. My finish time was 53:14, for an average pace of 17:08, earning me second place in my age group. My knee felt great at the end of the race; no issues at all.

I have two more races in this series, one in February and the other in March. Today's pace sets the bar pretty high for me, a lot higher than I expected. I'd like to see if I can cut a minute off my pace for each of the next two, maybe working up to a very slow jog. I think this puts me in a pretty good position for being ready for July's triathlon.

Hey, that's SOOO awesome!
Congratulations!

I did a run yesterday in very cold temps and fluffy snow and it was a real battle to keep going because my pace was slower than what I normally do.

So continuing to push forward when it's not how you remember being an athlete in the past is awesome. Well done! Thanks for sharing!

I did a VERY long ride on the trainer today. Maybe my longest ever. Four hours and 21 minutes. I got it done!!

That's awesome! The longest I've done in the past four years is probably an hour. I kind of miss the long rides; I found them very meditative. I got my bike back from the shop--two trips and $500 to make my $89 WalMart bike rideable--and have spent some time riding on gravel roads and abandoned logging roads. I'm looking to add a GoPro mount to it and a bear spray canister mount, and I'll be good to go for some serious riding this summer. I know a lot of people ride on the "regular" roads around here, but I've been hit twice and nearly hit so many times, I just can't. I'll stick to roads with no traffic. However, we do have a paved bike path not far from where I live, and in a few weeks or so, I'll dig my road bike out of storage and get some practice with it. I may even figure out how to set up my trainer in one of my storage sheds.

I competed in the second 5K in the series yesterday and improved on last month's time by almost six minutes. Woohoo! Last month: 53:14; yesterday: 47:40. Again, second place in my age group. Very happy with the results! It's good enough for me and my bionic knee. I have to work more on my endurance, though. I started to fade on mile 3, and that's usually when I start hitting my stride.

One more to go in the series!