Shrano's Tri Group - FULL / CLOSED

I would like to be a part of your mentor group.  I am a brand new triathlon participant, planning to participate in one (TBD) in August.  I will be participating with a couple friends, so we are still determining which one we will do - but it will be in the Northeast somewhere since I live north of Boston, one lives in Boston and another in NYC.

 I have had various levels of fitness over my lifetime, with a period of basic inactivity during graduate school periods.  I finally got my act together about two years ago and have been progressing slowly back to being fit, but need to have challenges and concrete goals to keep going.  I will turn 40 in March (March 31st) and thus want this year to be one where I exceed all my previous fitness levels.  I chose a triathlon because I think it is a challenge big enough to keep me interested, has enough variety to keep me from getting bored and also trains the whole body to relate to the best overall fitness.  I will be working with trainers at my gym also during the process.  But, I am completely and absolutely a newbie - so, I think I will need a lot of guidance on gear and stuff.

I am 39 now, live on the n. shore of Boston, have one 2.5 year old Golden Retriever (Dixie) and one black cat (Jake) who is approximately five - but was adopted, so who knows.  I am single...still...  

I am looking forward to learning a lot and really increasing my fitness through the process!

Maggie Weir

Yay!  My first BT Mentee!  Welcome Maggie!!

I look forward to getting to know you and help guide you along the way to not only the starting line but also the finish line of your first of hopefully many tri's!

Triathlon is definitely a great challenge to embark on and it really is a lot of fun regardless of the distance you choose to do.  I really like it because each sport is broken up by the transition and when you are done with one, you have the next one to look forward to which means you are that much closer to the finish line!

There are certainly quite a few options to do races in the northeast - the Danskin Women's Tri Series definitely hits Boston, so if your friends are all female that is an option and I'm told it is a great entry level event (it is a sprint). 

Before I overwhelm you with too many questions, are you doing any sort of swim/bike/run training right now?  Do you know what distance tri you and your friends are thinking about doing?  Let's start with those and we;ll go from there.  Don't worry too much about gear right now - there's time for that, and any old bike will do for your first race.

-sharon

NAME:  lortciger/Lisa

STORY:  I am currently living in Macomb, IL, but have lived all over the United States, and will probably be relocating somewhere new in six months once my husband finishes school. 

I am 39 years old and this April will be my first triathlon ever.  Although I was athletic in high school - 20 years later things have changed, especially my waist line.  February 2007, I was reading an article in Figure magazine (put out by Lane Bryant for larger women), they always do a feature article on activities women are doing and this particular one was on triathlon's.  The women were twice as large as me, and I thought to myself - I can do that.  Fast forward to August 2007 I finally became inspired told my husband what I wanted to do, joined a gym, hired a personal trainer and began slowly telling people.  Now the committment is here and I am 16 weeks from my race. YIKES!

A brief medical history:  I have always been overweight but involved in sports.  2005 I was diagnosed with Pancreatitis (drastic change in eating - no fried, no chocolate, no red meat, no pork, no alcohol, no caffeine).  I lost 75 pounds and then hit a plateau.  After surgery some "forbidden food" started sneaking back in and the weight 20 pounds came back. 2007 by working out at the gym I have lost 15 pounds but also (due to difficulty running) I was diagnosed with exercise induced asthema.  I now have an inhaler and in December went back on my old eating habits.

FAMILY STATUS:  Married (Edward) 9 years, no children by choice, 1 dog (Sofie) who is like my child.  Currently not working (by choice) but for ten years I taught Jr. High/High School Social Studies and loved it.  Currently looking for a new line of work since my school consolidated.  This is good for working out.

CURRENT TRAINING:  I am working out with my Personal Trainer once a week (Monday's) and she always has a plan for that day.  I can't tell you what that plan is since we just changed my goals and she is coming up with a new one.  It was weight lifting and 30 minutes of cardio.  I am also following a 12 week plan from this website.  When I have time I like to workout on the treadclimber and elliptical machine.  I usually spend 1 1/2 to 2 hours at the gym.  I try for 6 days a week, but family usually dictates the day I go.  I have two parents with health issues.  I have at home a 6 pound medicine ball, a stability ball, step, and bike trainer all get used when I can't make it to the gym.

THIS YEARS RACE:  Only one scheduled:  April 26th Sprint Distance 440 yd INDOOR swim, 13.5 mile bike (mainly flat but with lots of wind), 3.1 mile run (through woods and on pavement)  This event is not sanctioned but I thought it would be good to start here since it was inside.

WEIGHT LOSS:  YES PLEASE.  My goal is 22 pounds by April 26th.  I have never dieted in my life but I do know a lot about nutrition, I just never applied it.  Right now I am trying to eat clean.  I have started using the nutrition blog on the website and I am sure it will help.  I do travel a lot and eating out kills me.

WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR:  Support, Advise, and Encouragement.  I know I can't do this alone and my goal for the tri is to finish I don't care if I am last and it takes forever.

I really am looking forward to being in your group and I am starting to get excited again about the race.  Thanks for letting me join your group.

I also live in Sherman Oaks.  I work at Paramount and they have started a Tri team.  Their next big Tri is the Vineman 70.3 (1/2 Vineman) in July, 07/19/09.  I would like to start training, but I'm not sure how or where to start (biking, swimming, running).  I great early mornings before the family arises (usually around between 5am - 7 am).  I know that I can do it I just need a nudge and some support.

My wife laughs at me every time I say I want to do this, but I think that it is the best thing that I can do for myself to release stress.   Any tips?

hi lisa!  WELCOME!!

congrats on taking the first step and signing up for your first tri!  sounds like you are on a very good path working out with your trainer and following a structured tri plan from here.  which plan are you using?  your goal of finishing no matter what is spot on.  for your first tri that's what you want to aim for - just finish.  the sense of accomplishment you will experience is amazing!!  you sound incredibly motivated overall with all that you are doing.  great job on the weight loss, too!

i've got EIA as well and just started using an inhaler again.  i don't always find that it helps me too much.

with regards to your diet, you say that you know a lot about nutrition but don't really follow what you know.  what are your weaknesses?  is it portion control or the 'wrong' food choices?  i'm also a certified holistic health counselor that doesn't practice, so i have quite a bit of knowledge in that area as well.  i travel about once a month for work and can understand how easy it is to make poor choices.  let's talk about that as a group - we can share experiences, ideas, tips, suggestions with each other.

Hi neighbor!  Welcome to the group!!  Do you mind sharing your info (along the lines of what lisa did above)?  

Having a little more understanding of your current fitness/training level will help.  And I am more than happy to provide support, tips, etc - that's what I'm here for!!  

Certainly many people opt to do a 1/2 IM as their first race and with that 1/2 Vineman 6 months away you can certainly do it with the right planning.  Does the Paramount team have a coach? A structured plan that they are following?  Do you currently run, bike or swim?  What is your experience/background in each?

Why do you think your wife laughs at you when you talk about doing a tri?  i know many people experience some stress with unsupportive spouses and there have been many discussions on the tops on the boards here.  If you want to do it, you just put your mind to it and you just do it - you find the time for it and you'll accomplish your goal.

Please share some more info about yourself with our group and I know I can provide more insight for you. 

-sharon

Answer to your first question: I have chosen the Sprint, Basic, 12 Week HR Zone Based plan.  Since the race is 16 weeks away I thought this would be a good one to start with and then at the end I can keep building from it.  

Question about the week prior to the race:  Should that be a week where I continue my workouts full, or should I cut them in half.  I am not planning on doing anything Friday and Saturday.  The race is Sunday at 12:00.

Diet:  Boy do I dislike that word, I prefer to think of it as a lifestyle change.  After my diagnosis they sent me to a nutritionist.  They taught me about portions, weighing food, plate size, reading labels, what to choose, to split meals when out, etc.  For me I think the problems are simple:  I love to cook, I love food with flavor, when I tire of cooking I like to have a good meal prepared for me, I GET TIRED OF MEASURING AND TRACKING, family.

I am very good with my food choice in the morning.  I am even good for my lunch.  Supper can be a killer if I am not prepped for it early in the day and committed to make it.   I find that if I am with my husband my choices are less thought out - although he does always ask where I want to go when we eat out.

You would think that with my food restrictions ordering would be easy - it is actually harder to find the right foods in a restaurant, especially around where I live.  I have not eaten fast food in over 5 years (don't like the slap dash taste).  That leaves 27 restaurants.  5 Sandwich Shops, 6 Pub food, 5 Pizza, 3 Chinese, 2 Italian, 2 Mexican, 2 I won't eat at (long story), 2 I haven't been to (they just opened.)  As you can see by my list - not a lot of variety.

When I do go to Chicago (which is every month) food plays a big part in what I do, that's where friends tend to meet.  When I am in my hometown, Burlington, that is also the mainstay for family.  (My mom due to degenerative arthritis stopped cooking when I was 16.)

I don't know if I answered your question or went on a rant.  If it is a rant I apologize, but boy do I feel better.  I am off to the gym so I can stop thinking about food.

I don't know if you can look at my nutrition or not but that might lead you to some insight as well.

Hi Sharon..  

I would like to join your group if there is still space available.  I really related to your story.  I have a background in swimming.  I too was a sprint swimmer!  After having surgery on my shoulder (13 years ago) I gave up competitive swimming and started doing it for fun.  

Right now I am swimming two days a week, strength training twice a week, and walk/jogging two times a week.  I thought that doing cross training would be a great way to insure that I would not injure my shoulder again.  I overheard some people at my gym talking about triathlons and decided that it would be fun to try.  One of my biggest problems is that it is way to cold and snowy to jog outside so I am inside on a treadmill.  It has been difficult for me to progress because I find it kind of boring to do!  I keep telling myself that there are lots of people who love to jog so I need to figure out a way to enjoy it!  I am going to start to plan on biking too.  I have biked in the past and really enjoyed it.  

 As for my family.  I am a 35 year old happily married mother of 4.  I have 7 year old twin girls, 6 year old daughter, and 3 year old son.  To be honest, I do not really have any weight issues and have not really had any my whole life.  I do need to eat MUCH BETTER.  Frequently I snack my way through the day taking care of kids or at the end of a long day order out!!  I want to figure out a way to eat healthier and put good "fuel" in my body.

 I think that it is.  Any suggestions on making jogging more enjoyable would be GREAT!!  You sound like you will be a great wealth of information on the tri world!

Welcome Amy and Thank You Lisa for the additional info!  I have been slammed at work today and won't have time to write a meaningful response to you both until much later tonite.  I've got swim practice and then a fundraising meeting with some fellow TNT-teammates, and a husband with the flu at home which means a dog that needs to be walked.  My plate is overflowing at the moment.  ACK!

But I definitely have more info to share, questions for you, suggestions etc.  I'm on the west coast so you probably won't see my responses until the morning, but I just wanted to let you know that I am here, I have seen your posts and I will get back to you.

cheers,

-sharon

Hi Sharon, Would love to join your group if space is available.

 My story:  This will be my first try to Tri ever and certainly a bit scary.  I'm not a great runner, swimmer or biker but that's why I'm joining a mentorship group.

 Work:  Active duty military member.  Long work hours and a lot of travel. 

Time:  Limited but willing to find the time to train so I can keep going.

Goals:  Weight loss (hopefully 20 lbs) and completing a sprint tri by the end of the year.

Marital status:  Married (10 years) two kids (daughter 10 years and son 19 months)

Currently living in Puerto Rico.

 First question:  Where do I start?

Could someone let me know if you can navigate to my training log and nutrition.  I had it as private and I am not sure if I changed my setting correctly.  Thanks.

Lisa

This nite went later than planned.  Tomomrrow shouldn't be so bad at work. i'll respond to you all in the morning as i want to give you full answers not piecemeal.

Yes, there is still room to join, so welcome essinaj!  i'll change the thread to say CLOSED when i'm not taking on anymore mentees.

Lisa, yes, i can see your logs and i see nutrition info that shows calories, fat, etc but not exactly what you are eating.

Hi there if you are still open I would like to join in the fun.

My name is Michelle I am 37 (almost 38)...I have been running since July 2004.  I have run multiple half marathons, 4 marathons in 1 year.  Two years ago I started swim lessons and last year I bought a bike.  I LOVE the bike and am pretty good at it - so I have been told.  I did 2 sprint tri's last year.

Currently, I am swimming 3 days a week about 1000 yards.  Bike at least 30 minutes at a time on my trainer a few times a week and running as often as I can.  It is staying light longer, so I hope to do more after work runs...

My goals for 2009 - a couple of half marathons and my first ever HIM  - I dislike shorter distances...I like the endurance.

I have a health issue of fibromyalgia.  I try to ignore it but sometimes it gets in the way.  I also have begun dating someone who lives an hour away so I am unable to train my long runs with friends...I am trying to do this on my own - with guidance!

Thanks!  I look forward to meeting with all of you!

 I would appreciate any advice for how to begin with swimming!

Hi Lisa and everyone.  I'm going to post a few messages back to back addressing some of your initial posts.  here's the first one...from Lisa (lortciger)

Question about the week prior to the race:  Should that be a week where I continue my workouts full, or should I cut them in half.  I am not planning on doing anything Friday and Saturday.  The race is Sunday at 12:00.

Your training schedule will have you "taper" the week prior to the race.  You don't want to train hardcore in the days leading up to the race as those couple of extra workouts are not going to improve your fitness level and ability to complete the race.  That is determined by the training hours you put in during the weeks and months leading up to the race.  Take it easy the week prior to a race - all training plans have a taper week (or two, depending on the length of the event).  Your body and your muscles remember what to do.  As long as you follow the plan you'll be fine.  And it is OK to miss a workout here or there during your regular training - you don't want to slack off completely and you want to make sure that you get in the key workouts, which are typically scheduled for a  weekend when you would have more hours to train.   We can talk more about missing workouts as we go along - there's so much to cover!!

As far as food, we can have many discussions on this one.  I agree that diet is a silly word and eating is all about lifestyle and choices.  I don't remember if I mentioned that I am a vegetarian or not.  I don't eat any meat or fish.  I eat some dairy (cheese and ice cream in particular, but no eggs or milk altho i will cook w eggs and i eat butter too).  I won't try to convert any of you to become veg either, however i can offer advice if you want it pertaining to a meat eating "diet".

Lisa, you say you have 27 restaurants to choose from where you live - that's a LOT!  it's about making smart choices when you go and also allowing yourself the chance to indulge just not every time.  We all want to think that what we are eating and putting in our bodies is fueling us in our training.  I travel about once a month for work, on average, often to places tht don't know the meaning of the word vegetarian.  Also important to remember is what we are drinking.  I drink water all the time.  I gave up soda in HS cos I just don't like the carbonation.  I drink sports drinks only when I am working out for 45-60 min or more, otherwise just water.  EVERYONE: Think about what you consume and we can talk more in detail about this.

Lastly, ranting is just fine and welcome! 

Hi Amy - Welcome!

Cross training, which is really what triathlon is, is a terrific way to prevent further injury.  Have you signed up for a particular race or are you just dabbling in the 3 sports right now?  

Where do you live?  Depends on where you live and just how cold it is, but running outside in the winter is great - it is all about having the right clothing/gear.  If you live in a cold climate, I strongly suggest some winter running gear.  If you have a local running shop check out what they have, otherwise if there is an REI near you they have great stuff too.  Some of my most favorite runs were in the snow and 20 degree temps.  If it dips below 20, i would run on the dreadmill - i hate running on it!  

What works for me on a dreadmill if i have no choice but to use it is running intervals - run faster for :30-:60 seconds, then recover for a few minutes.  Or run a steep incline and then recover on the flat.  Make sure you always set the incline to 1.0 as that will compensate for not running outdoors.  I think once you start running outside, you may find that you enjoy it more.  Always run in the street, against traffic - concrete is a little too hard on the joints, i've been told.  Or find a nice pedestrian path, or a beach, boardwalk, or trail - whatever suits you.  It's good to mix it up and try different locales to see what you like.  Take in the scenery.  Try running without music and hear what's going on in nature - focus on your feet falling to the ground.  Look inside your neighbors windows as you pass by their house .  Try running with music and see if singing along aloud or in your head helps.  figure out what sort of music motivates you.  make a playlist of 20 min, 30 min, 45 min and 60 min for different distance runs.  These are just some ways to keep it interesting and i use them all depending on the day.  Also, i find that it is most difficult for me to run less than 45 min.  I hate those first 45 min and once I pass that amount of time, I get into a zone.  takes a while to work up to 45 min, so don't rush anything...just sayin'.

As far as biking goes, do you have a bike?  You don't have to have a road bike.  I did my first couple of races on a hybrid.  Some people do them on mountain bikes.  You want to make sure you enjoy the sport before investing as it gets $$$.  For the winter, spin class or indoor stationary bike will suffice.  Or if you have a trainer to put your bike onto, that is great - I just got one 2 years ago and love it.  Never had one in NYC.  But I love having it now for the convenience factor.

I think much of what I just wrote, in addition to wanting to cover food/eating stuff later will apply to all of you. 

hi there and welcome!  first question - what is your first name?  Second, I have a couple of questions for you:

OK, first of all so many people get into tri having no experience in any of the 3 sports so don't worry about that - it's fantastic that you are taking this first step! 

Do you have a sprint tri in mind that you are targeting to be your race this year? It is good to have your eye on a race and even register if it's open, so that you can keep yourself motivated to go on.

I think that is the first place to start.  Find the race you want to do - understand the distances and then get a plan. Many plans available on this site.  Do you have a bike? swimsuit and goggles? a place to swim?  sneakers?  Once you have these basics along iwth your plan you start training.

Hi Michelle and welcome!  Congrats on learning to swim and completing two tris.  And fantastic goals for this year!  Training alone is tough - i know, i've been there.  You sound like you know what you are doing, however with the HIM there's a lot more that goes into the training over a sprint, so we can talk about that over the coming weeks.  Do you have a race already selected? Have you signed up?  Do you have a plan that you are following or plan to follow?

Is the bike that you have a road bike?  Are you swimming on  your own or with a masters team?  Is there a masters team near you?  Are you swimming 1000 straight or are you doing a workout?  You will want to start varying your swim workout.  If you are able to swim 3x wk then you can do one endurance/distance swim, one drill/technique swim and one 'regular' swim workout that may focus on speed or intervals.  More than anything in the swim technique is key.

Let's start there... and see what you have to say. 

Hi Sarah and welcome!

Congrats on signing up for your tri!  The swim is usually the toughest for most people in tri, so you are def not alone.  As I mentioned above, technique is key.  If you have the means to take a couple of lessons or join a masters team, i strongly encourage that.  If you haven't done any swimming for exercise it will def take some time to build up the endurance but that's what you have your plan for.  You have time.  Just first get comfortable in the water.  Also, the neat thing about the swim in the race is that you can do freestyle, breaststroke, sidestroke, backstroke, doggie paddle IF YOU HAVE TO - whatever gets you from the start to the exit of the swim in the designated amount of time.   

What's your ability with the bike and the run?  Are you currently working out regularly?  Any weight loss issues?

Do you have a race already selected?  I think so mid September

 Have you signed up?  Not yet...

 Do you have a plan that you are following or plan to follow?  I have a plan from this website that I have printed out and bound so I can take notes along the way.

Is the bike that you have a road bike? I bought a Giant OCRW3 last year and have made some modifications.  I have aerobars(can't live without them) I also got new pedals and tri-cycling shoes.

 Are you swimming on  your own or with a masters team?  I am swimming with a couple of friends three mornings a week.  We are tryng to vary our workouts.  I try to work on something each workot, rotation, arms, breathing, kicking. Next week I start the Friday night swims that my tri club puts on...I have not gone before because I was not comfortable - I am going starting next week!  Is there a masters team near you?  I can't seem to find one - but I think the Friday practices are set up masterslike.

I have noticed and maybe I am crazy but if I rotate properly I am faster.  Hmmmm...if only I wouldn't get lazy.

Hope this gives some insight.  Any suggestons would be helpful...do you have bike trainer workouts?  I have noticed that I just get SO bored on the trainer.  I so prefer to be outside while running or biking... but NorthEast Ohio doesn't allow for that!

Hi Sharon,

I am interested in joining your group.  I am a 60 year old man, who has riding a bike for the last 12 years or so.  Before that, I was running, which I loved, but gave it up when my knees were hurting.  I am a nonswimmer, who has been trying to overcome some mental blocks to learn how to swim.

 I have been working out 10 hours a week or so for the last year, incorporating 2 or 3 hours of weight taining and about 10 miles a week of running.  My main focus has been riding, and have clocked over 6000 miles each of the last two years.

I haven't had any weight issues since I started running over 30 years ago, and since I started year round training three years ago, I have been losing 2 or 3 pounds a year, so most of my friends say I should gain a few pounds.  (of course I ride with them, and I think they just want me to go slower)

I have several duathlons planned in Spring, and a hard hilly century end of May.  I hope to do an Ironman this fall, but i may be delusional about that.

you seem to be off to a great start with the swimming.  as i said, technique is so important so the fact that you are working on it with friends is great.  with the rotation yes, you should be faster.  as you propel yourself forward with your arm and rotate.  if you have never seen a total immersion video check it out.  i've never taken their seminar, but my Team in Training coaches essentially teach it.  swimming for triathlon is different from what we learned growing up.  it's all about the upper body and saving the legs for the bike and the run.

in terms of the trainer.  there are Spinervals DVDs that you can get.  i've only done the two 30 min workouts that came w my trainer and i haven't done them in a while, but that is an option. the other thing you can do to overcome the boredom is watch tv.  recently i have been watching "it's always sunny in philadelphia" on hulu.com.  the episodes are about 20 min, so i usually watch 3 if i'm doing an hour.  it makes it go by faster.  if the weather is dry and above 40 degrees, get yourself some winter riding gear (warm pants, booties, gloves, etc) and try going for a ride outside.  as for winter running, i practically never ran on the treadmill unless i absolutely HAD to (i.e. torrential rain).  I had some great runs in the snow and cold weather.   and it makes you (mentally) stronger.   

Hi BIGCOG and Welcome!  What is your first name?

You obviously have a great fitness foundation and you've come to the right place to test the waters (no pun intended) for swimming and triathlon. What are some of the mental blocks that you  have w swimming?  i know people that have never had any formal training in swimming complete multiple ironmans, so it is absolutely doable!  mind you it wasn't their first race - you may want to start w a sprint or Oly distance first.  You just have to take the first step into the pool.

nice plan for your season thus far!!  

Room for another? I'd like to join!

--Bxrgrl