PLMsbr (JD) Group - FULL

Hey JD,

I am also signed up for IM Coz and would love to join your group.  This will be my second season doing triathlons (actually anything active for that matter.)  I did 3 sprints and 1 Oly this year.  I finished all, mostly last in my AG, but I finished. 

I am married and have 2 kids (almost 4 & almost 2)

My race schedule for next year is pretty ambitious.  I am in for Florida 70.3 and Vineman 70.3 as well as IM Coz.  Plus I will probably throw in a Sprint and an Oly.  I plan on running my first 1/2 Marathon in Feb.  My goals are to improve my times from last year,  learn from people who know more than I do, stay healthy and enjoy myself. 

That's about it.

Josh

STORY: 45 year old male - Just getting started in triathlon.  I was a treadmill only runner for several years doing 3-4 miles 3-4x per week.  We hired a temp here at work who was training for a marathon and encouraged me to try running outside.  I went out one day for a run and was hooked.  Started running races and wound up injured (still not sure exactly what was wrong but am healed up now).  So started looking for x-training options when the same coworker told me about triathlons.  I had no idea that there was any other distance for tri's than IM but when I found out there were shorter races I was very excited.  So I started swimming and bought a road bike and have loved every minute of my training.  I have never competed in a triathlon but have been training since July.

FAMILY STATUS: Married 15 years (Sharon) with 2 kids...boy 18...girl 13.

CURRENT TRAINING:  Right now I am working off of a self-made training plan created with help from the Triathlon Training Bible.  I am training in all 3 disciplines 3 times per week about 9-10 hours per week.

THIS YEAR'S RACES: In 2008 I did a few 5k's, an 8k, a 10k, and a 1/2 mary

2009 RACES:  Hoping to compete in the Southwest Challenge Series which is a series of mainly sprints where points are awarded for placement in age group.  I am thinking about doing an oly maybe mid-season but nothing in stone.

WEIGHTLOSS: I went from 196 to 176 last year and am now down to 166 this year.  I would like to get down to 155 by mid-season this year.  Weightloss is not a priority goal but expect it will happen as training intensity increases. 

WHAT WILL MAKE ME A GOOD MENTEE: Since I'm new to the sport I hope to bring rookie enthusiasm.  I like to keep interactions light and humerous but I am an intense competitor and take my training very seriously.  Being a rookie I am very eager and willing to learn and know that I have a lot to learn.  I am looking forward to being a part of my first mentor group.

Hi Josh, welcome aboard! 2nd season and signed up for an IM, should make it an interesting year for you; especially with 2 little ones... start buttering your wife up now with gifts, extra chores around the house, etc.

We'll get into more specifics as we go, but for now just wanted to welcome you into the group. Looking forward to it, and hopefully we'll both be celebrating a successful IM Cozumel on Nov 30th of next year!

JD

Hi Tim, you're in as well, welcome! The treadmill-only running thing sounds very familiar; as does the co-worker that starts you down a seemingly-innocent path Do you mind sharing what type of injury you had? Glad that everything is healed now, but it might help down the road to know what you injured the first time (i.e. foot, knee...).

You are off to a good and smart start for doing triathlons. Participating in the forum, researching training plans, and actually training for your first event (many of us have trained a couple weeks and just gone out there and tried it - with usually comical or worse results).

How is your swimming going? Do you train with some type of group or on  your own? Just curious, as that is often the most difficult thing to master for those of us that weren't fish as kids.

Good approach to start off with sprint races and see how those go. We'll talk more about the Olympic distance as we get going, but I'm sure you can do it if you have the time/motivation to train for those distances.

Nice job on the weightloss, and I like the attitude of taking the training seriously; but with an overall sense of humor to the whole process. That is probably a good summary of where I stand myself - when it is time to train or race; that is the focus and I take it serious and give it my best. But I also try to keep perspective about the overall big picture - nobody is paying me to race; and there are really very few people concerned with how well I do!

JD

Welcome Steve, you are in as well. If you have the same discipline and hard work for triathlon that it took to get those degrees, I'm sure you will do great! Interesting you mention finding meaning thru setting goals and overcoming challenges; I use similar terminology a lot when I talk to people about why I do this. I think there is something innate within us that makes us want to have a challenge and work to overcome it. BTW: I'd consider a lack of McDonald's a big positive   I bet you have some nice roads for biking where you live.

Sounds like your first year you've already learned a lot about dealing with the tough races, that will serve you well. I have done a Half IM with temps in the low 90's; and that was brutal enough, I can't imagine what that run was like in 105 degree temps!

For that marathon, if you're getting thru your 20 mile runs at all; even with a few short walk breaks - you are doing great. The fact that you use the plural (20 mile "runs" makes it seem to me that you will be well-prepared. We'll all be interested to see how that goes for you. A full IM in your first year is always ambitious, but it can be done. The keys are your willingness to do the proper training, and having the right goals and expectations.

Impressive weight loss - you may have a few folks asking how you achieved that!

JD

BTW: One thing I should make sure and mention for the people already in; as well as those that might post after this.. I'll be out of town (actually out of the country) from Friday afternoon thru Sunday afternoon. Just so you know why I won't be posting in that timeframe.

JD

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Thanks for the welcome JD!  I look forward to interacting with the group!

My injury began right after I ran my 1/2 mary.  I knew I hadn't ran enough to do the distance well but went ahead and did it anyway.  My longest run up to this point was 13 miles and only once.  After the race I had pain on the outside of my left knee.  I took a week for recovery and it felt better.  Next run out, about 2 miles in, the pain came back.  I was able to finish my run albeit with quite a bit of pain.  So it went for weeks and weeks.  I'd stop running until it seemed better and then go to start up again and bam about 1-2 miles in it would come back.  The pain was localized to upper outside prominence of the tibia.  My chiro said he didn't think it was the IT band but also said that lots of stuff attaches at that point so it would be hard to pinpoint.  So I took a month off, no running whatsover.  I swam and I biked and suffered from withdrawals every day!  I've now been back running for about 6 weeks with no issues.  I'm slowly building mileage again and am looking to do 9 miles on my long run this weekend.

My swimming?  In a word... frustrating!  My stroke feels ok (just ok, not great) breathing to my right but when I breathe to the left I cannot keep my form.  I know I should join a masters group or get some lessons/coaching but neither time nor money allow me to do that right now.  Any tips?

Enjoy your trip....and be safe.....I guess the rest of us can keep each other company while you're gone.

Hi Samantha; still have room, and you are in

First of all, a thank you to your husband for his service and you for your support. Lots of sacrifice on both parts.

I love seeing somebody committed to making changes, so we'll all work at helping keep you encouraged and motivated. I'll be interested to see what the others in the group say, but I can tell you that I struggle with motivation at some point just about every week. Usually it's when it comes time to actually do the training, especially (for me) swimming. I've learned to just accept that I'm going to feel like that, and head out anyway. Most times, once I actually get underway I feel much better; and by the time I'm done I'm feeling great. Just a weird part of the workout experience for me. And I love that feeling of looking back at the week's plan and seeing all those completed workouts!

Since you enjoy the swimming and the biking, your running will be similar to my swimming. You're just going to have to keep plugging away at it, and it will get easier/more enjoyable over time. Really, it will!

You mentioned the Danskin Orlando tri, when did you do that one, and how did it go? Hopefully things go as planned and you can get into those sprint tri's you're planning on doing.

Again, welcome to our group!

JD

Glad that the pain has stayed away, that must be a huge relief. Nothing more aggravating then when our own body rebels against us... Please let me know if you start having any pain or issues as the training progresses, though.

I understand about the time/money issue for swim lessons/coaching. I will tell you that when I finally broke down and got a little bit of coaching it helped tremendously. One thing you can do fairly cheaply is get a friend/spouse to videotape you while you do a few laps. If you've never done that, it can be pretty eye-opening. Most of us that don't have that swim background need to worry about the big, obvious things; like letting our legs split apart every time we breath; rotating at the shoulders instead of the hips, crossing over way too much, head up, etc. You would definitely be able to see what you are doing on the left vs. the right (good chance you are not rotating your body enough on that side).

I'll keep looking and posting until I leave, then be back Sunday night...

JD

Aloha,

Still room?

Name:  triscruggs (Will)

Story:  I'm now 33 and had been stuck in school for too long.  After finishing up a couple years ago I kind of aimlessly piddled my time away gaining a little weight and drinking too much.  Last year I got a little motivated and ran my first marathon (Honolulu) on two months training.  That hurt a lot, but it got me moving in the right direction.  I've been interested in the challenge of triathlons for a while, but made the excuse I didn't have time - and I couldn't swim to save my life (literally).  So I gave it a shot last year and  completed one Olympic distance and one Tinman tri.  I had a great time and finished much better than I expected.  I just finished my second marathon, bought a used tri-specific bike, and I'm super-motivated for this year.

Family Status:  Married.  No little ones yet.

Current Training:  I had planned on doing 550 hours last year, but didn't come close.  I felt really good both physically and mentally, but the honey-do list and vacations put a kink in a lot of training plans.  This year I'm planning on 550-600 with much more focus on swimming.  It's my least favorite, but two years ago I could barely swim a lap.  That first tri I finished the swim 2 minutes behind the second to last place competitor in my age group.  My bike and run were right around the top 10 in both events, which made for great fun in passing, but frustrating overall results when I wonder what could have been.  So I'm shooting for 25-30% swimming time this year.

2008 Races:  Honolulu Tri (Olympic), Hawaii Tinman, Hibiscus Half Marathon, Honolulu Marathon

2009 Races: I've got a bunch of events on the schedule leading up to the Honolulu Tri, Boise 70.3, and Hawaii Tinman.  Then an IM in 2010.

Weightloss: I'm 5'9" and down to 170 from 185 after cutting out the post-night shift ice cream last year.  I'm worried I might have to give up my beloved brews to get down to my goal of 160 for racing this season.

Me As A Mentee: I've been waiting for an open group with someone who has reached a competative age-group level and has some experience.  I'm a little OCD myself and I would love some help with the details that I haven't found answered.

Mahalo

 Hi JD,  I would like to join your group.

NAME: Mker1251 (Mike)

STORY: I am 56 year old male - got started in running in 2003.  I have completed several marathons and half marathons.  But, alas, the training has taken a toll on the legs.  This year I decided to give up marathons and move over to the triathlon. 

FAMILY STATUS: Divorced.  I have two grown kids and four grandkids.  My oldest grandson (10 yoa) is now my running partner.

CURRENT TRAINING:  I currently ride three times a week doing 25-28 miles a ride.  I also run about 5 miles three times a week. 

THIS YEAR'S RACES: In 2008 I ran the Disney Marathon in January.  Since that time I have run in several 5Ks.

2009 RACES:  My goal is to compete in the Athletes for a Cure Triathlon at Disney World in September.

 
WEIGHTLOSS: After gaining weight earlier this year, I have managed to lose several pounds.  I would like to lose another 10-12 pounds before September.

Hey Baowolf!  I look forward to participating in the group with you.

Right now the weekends are for LSD on both the run and the bike.  So Saturday will be (hopefully outdoors) a 95 minute run @ about 10-10:15 pace so right around 9 miles.  Sunday will be my long bike which means 2 hours on the drainer ( I don't have winter bike clothing yet...c'mon Santa!) I typically get just over 25 miles in those 2 hours and it's not so bad as I do it while watching a football game.  All those long distances makes me a tired guy Monday morning!

Hi Will, still room; welcome! Living in Hawaii are you? I am envious...  maybe we'll all come and stay with you to watch the IM World Championship next year

A marathon on two months training surely is painful, but does show you have some mental and physical toughness!  Great job on your first tri's, sounds like you have officially caught the disease.

I'm right with you in terms of where I started with swimming, and you have the right idea to work on that weak link in the chain. It stinks to give people a 10 minute head start or so when doing an Olympic triathlon.

Looks like a good schedule for 2009. You have any idea on what IM you want to do for 2010?

Good to have you join the group, and hopefully we'll help you work out some of those details and avoid a few mistakes.

JD

Swimming is the most time-consuming of the three disciplines to improve, so don't get too frustrated. Bike and run if you go out there and push yourself day after day you usually see some good improvements. You do that on the swim and sometimes the improvements seems so small it makes you wonder... But look at that change from 25 yds to 2.5 miles - that is huge! We *all* need to give ourselves credit for the improvements. I remember wanting to break into the top half of my age group - now I can place 2nd or 3rd and my brain immediately goes to what am I doing wrong that those couple of folks were faster than me!

I'll be back on Sunday; enjoy those trainer/dreadmill workouts...

JD

Hi Mike, you are in!

Those marathons distances do wear you down after a while. Welcome to the dark side - it's really not such a bad place to be...

How cool to have your grandson be your running partner! My granddaughter is turning 6, maybe I can get her out there in a few years.

You didn't mention swimming in your training, so maybe you can talk about that (I am about to head out, so no time to check logs right now).

Looking forward to help you get started in triathlons and make it fun!

JD

Heading out shortly for most of the weekend, looking forward to talking to you all very soon. I'm going to go ahead and mark the group full for now, so people don't open this up to join and then find out I'm not around. We have six so far, so I may try to fit in one or two more before we officially close it.

Thanks everyone, can't wait to get this thing going and see what we can all accomplish in 2009!

JD

Hi,

I see full on one page and open on another and was wondering which is which...have you officially closed your mentor group? Please let me know whenever you can. If I can be part of the one or two more let me know. I am new to the site...so, I am getting comfortable with the tools of the boards etc.

Hi Shawna, you can join. I changed the title to FULL because I'm going to be out for a couple days. But we'd love to have you join us. I just didn't want to get too many posts while I was gone. Leaving in about 20 minutes, so I'll check back on Sunday. In the meantime, maybe you can provide some of the biography information (see some of those above).

Welcome to our group, and welcome to Beginner Triathlete!

JD

Ignore my private message to you lol. I now see I can join. I will add a bio.

Age 35, married 13 yrs, 3 children and my oldest runs cross country.

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Current training: I have always switched it up until a month ago. Swim, curves, circuit, walk, mini runs, and some sports. I had pneumonia and it knocked me down 2 weeks, then this last 2 weeks the thought of curves is torturous. The weather/ice storm makes me more determined to get a plan and so, Dec. 29 will be my first day back at the YMCA. 

This year's goals I achieved: (not any races) a 4 hour hike through the Smokey Mountains and I switched between running and walking due to terrain. A run up sand dunes in Traverse city. They were 2 goals and I acheived them. I guess I have been intimidated to enter any races because I want to make sure I am realistic.

2009 races - The tri at the Y. and they are sponsoring a few marathons throughout our area. I would also like to do a mackinac bridge and traverse city events. Right now though the focus is on the Y one.

Weightloss is not my main focus but, a bonus. My bigger concern is muscle, strength, endurance. I also need to learn how to eat like a runner.

 Well, this is all I can think of...I am in Michigan btw.

If I can manage to place in one of these races you can move in!  I've been over to the big island during that race.  I have never seen a group of people with so little body fat...  I'd love to run that race someday - by hook (earning a spot) or by crook (the lottery). 

 I don't know which IM I want to try.  Arizona is the closest, but if I'm going to travel for one anyway maybe I'll try one in Europe or the Far East.