Caius's Group - CLOSED

Hi Caius,

My name is Rob and I live near Windsor Ontario.

I am 37 and married with 2 daughters.  I did my first try-a-tri last year and promised myself I would train for a seasons worth the next year.

I have no real background in any of the elements but I am engoying the training.  When I started training in Feb, I weighed just under 210, and I am currently just over 185.

I would like to get to IM levels eventually, and I liked your profile because you said you started at the bottom and were able to make it happen from there.  This is what I want to make happen for myself.

I am doing a number of sprints this year(Oly and HIM next year) as well as a number of runs.  My season starts with the Loaring Tri in July and  culminates with a big Sprint in Holly Michigan in September and the Detroit 1/2 marathon in October.

I am "kind of" coached right now.  I swim on my own about twice a week and go to a drop in masters group once a week.  I am also doing a running program at my local gym that started this week.

 If I can stay healthy and injury free, things should just keep on improving (except for this week, due to work).

I am looking forward to working with you as a mentor.

Hey Neil, Rob! Welcome!

Well, it looks like we're all in the same boat in terms of age, family obligations, etc. I too was 37 when I started this whole crazy thing 3 years ago and was exactly where you guys were at.

I'm 6'2" and weighed 217 at my peak. With training I dropped 37 lbs and have maintained it ever since. I dip down to 177 lbs or there about in the summer with all the additional training and while I do try to eat healthy, I still love my giant bowl of ice cream

Binbrook try-a-tri was my first triathlon and I gotta tell you at that time it was the absolute hardest thing I ever did in my life. I was gasping for air the entire swim and could barely get myself out of the water I was so exhausted. The bike was okay and I walked more than I ran. So, I know exactly what that feels like.

With consistent training things have improved tremendously. I'm a middle of the packer still but I'm working on it. Last year I completed my first HIM and this year it's the full Ironman distance which I'm really realy looking foward to. One thing though that I'm learning is that the amount of training required for a HIM vs a IM is completely different. My daughter is 3 years old and the love of my life. Not only is it hard to find the extra time for the amount of training required but it's a real tough challenge to keep a good balance between work, family and training.

In reading your posts, you guys sounds like you're making excellent progress. Congratulations. It is a LOT of work which unless you go through it, you can't really appreciate it. You guys are doing great so just keep at it. Huge improvements will come not from a magic workout but from consistent training (even if small) over a long period of time.

Welcome to our group. Fire away with any questions, thoughts, etc.

Ever have to deal with calf problems in training.  I have been off of running for few weeks and am just easing back into short runs due to an unrelated mucle pull in my left calf.

The real downside is that work is making it hard to bike and swim this week, so right now, my volume has fallen through the floor!

I've never had calf pain. I've had lots of shin pain when I first started running and I've had sore glutes, heels, etc. but not calfs. Um actually, I did. When I ran my first marathon last fall I started getting really really painful cramping in my calfs. It was not pleasant at all.

I checked out your logs and you look like you're doing some consitent training which is good. Your last run session though looked like it may have been too intense. That pace is pretty aggresive. You would be better off to slow down and work on your endurance. The speed will come. Run slower (but with a quick cadence) and focus on form always. The slower pace will allow you to go longer and will likely put less stress on your calves. Your goal of finishing a 5K in 30min or less is completely attainable. You're well on your way. Just slow down, run longer and run more often.

Of course, I'm going to tempt that enthusiasm with a bit of caution. If your calves are hurting a lot, then take it easy. Stretch them. Ice them. Massage them. Let it get better before your start up again otherwise you may risk causing some serious damage which would put you out for a long time.

As for work, I hear ya. I got a new job in Jan and for the first 3 months of the year I was having a really hard time to find time to train. It's challenging for sure. My only words of advice there is to try different ways to manage your schedule. Book some "me" time in your calendar and use that time to train. Find a gym near your work if possible and go there at lunch. Do a workout first thing in the morning. Just keep trying. Eventually you will find something that works for you.

Dear Cauis,

I'd love to join your group if i may, i think you will be a amazing mentor for me.

My name is Jameson Pew,21 yrs of age from Philadelphia Pa,but i go to school outside New York City.

 Im a newb to triathlons, i have been doing mini sprint triathlons here at school to prove to myself and others that i can be up to the challange of the race. it's a 3.1 run outside, then a 8 mile bike on a sationary bike then a 500 in the pool. However i do hope to take on a real triathlon in the near future as well as a marathon possibly and then in the future i also am hoping to be able to run a ironman.  I think i have it in me to do great things and i look forward to the journey ahead as i do it.

Hi Caius,

I would like to join your group if I may? My name is Gloria and here is a little background on me.

I am 46 years old, I have 3 grown children and one teenager left at home, I been married for the past 26 years to my college sweetheart.

I live in Southeastern Idaho, I work for in an office all day behind a computer playing with numbers. I am also going to school part time to finish my accounting degree and I help my husband out with his trucking business.

 I started losing weight and working out 2 years ago and like you before that I was a totally inactive.  I couldn't even walk a slow mile on my treadmill. On my own I lost 10 lbs , I started at 271.  I knew there must be a better way so  I joined Weight Wathcers last May and just got off the first 20% of my weight; going from 261 down to 206.

Last year I started doing 5 K races to give me motivation to stay active and it worked wonders. I love crossing the finish line and beating my time from the last race!

My first Sprint Triathlon is on May 24th, 2008...only a month away yikes!! I am excited and nervous but can't wait for the challenge.

I need all the help and advise I can get ! I love to train , it's the best part of my day!

Hi John, Jameson and Gloria! Of course you can all join; the more the merrier!

John and Gloria, fantastic job on the weight loss, especially for you Gloria. Going from 261 to 206 is an incredible achievement. I'm sure it wasn't easy. Great job! A+! 3 stars!

Jameson, a reverse triathlon huh? Sounds interesting. Good for you for giving it a shot and proving to others and most importantly, to yourself, that you can do it.

Beyond the great health benefits of training for triathlons, one of the biggest things that you get out of it is self confidence. When you have pushed yourself beyond your comfort zone, tackled that single training session that you thought was too hard, lost that weight that you though you just couldn't get rid of or completed that event that you never though you could, you are reinforcing positive mesages about yourself.

You can do anything once you put your mind to it. With repeated application, nothing will seem impossible. That is an amazing thing to realize and actually believe. You're all on your way!

I'll be looking at all of your training logs over the next couple of days to see what your goals are and how it's going. Until then, if anyone has any specific questions or would like to talk about something in particular, fire away.

Caius,

If you have room, I'd like to join your group.  I've looked at most of the other mentors and I'm looking to develop my skills for HIM next year.  I like the fact you are doing LP in June.

I'm a 45 y/o professional, (male) married w/2 children.  Am 5'11" @ 184 lbs. 

I come from a mtn. bike racing background (all of 2 1/2 years) and did my first tri last year, an XTERRA of course, in July.  I DNF'd with leg cramps 100 yards into the run.  I completed another off road tri in Sept and did well.

Still racing mtn bikes this year, but will probably quit next year and do only tri's next year.  I've been on BT since last fall and log my workouts religiously.  I am currently in the Olympic 2x plan.

In addition to mtn bike races, I have a sprint tri (pool swim) on Memorial Day that I feel confident in doing.  I also want to do 2 Olys this year (open water) and have put together some bricks that I feel I can do well in the competition.

What I want to learn in this group is how to lay the groundwork later this year to do two 70.3s next year.

If you have room, I'd love to jump in!

Terry

Hi Caius - do you still have room for one more?

I'm Canadian (from Calgary) and our weather is now a whole lot worse than yours.  Don't wanna give Canada a bad name but we still have a ton of snow...

I was in a mentor group in January but now that my first tri is 5 weeks away (June 1) I could definitely use the support.  I am excited and a bit nervous! 

I'm 41, work full time and have 2 kids, a hubby, and a lap dog named Angus.  I have a background in running:  5 marathons (but that was ages ago) and ten 1/2s.  Lately my running has actually been helped by the swimming and biking on the trainer.  I'm a little worried because as of now I haven't actually been on the road on my road bike.

I would like to do an half ironman in a couple of years, if I can improve my swimming.

Hope you have room for me after I've prattled on about myself!

Tracy

Well it looks like we've got a full house. Welcome everyone!

I put together the table below to summarize some information.

One thing I would suggest is that we all add each other to our BT friends list. That way not only can we motivate each other via this thread but also by checking up on each other's logs, sending inspires, etc.

Have a great day everyone!!!

One thing I noticed when I was swimming is that I would glide forward then practically come  to a halt during the recovery phase. I would catch the water, initiate the pull (which is weak to begin with) and what my friend suggested was that I was stopping short. That is, the pull eventually needs to turn into a push as your had sweeps past your hips and beyond. That is, keep applying pressure on the water.

When I first tried this it felt odd and really required a bit of concentration to make sure that I was doing it consistenly on every stroke. I was focusing on just this single thing for my last two workouts and that's what seems to have done the trick. Like I said, I obviously had a huge flaw with my stroke.

My swimming is still slow but at least it's FINALLY going in the right direction.

Hello to you all. This is my first experience doing this sort of thing. I apologize in advance for asking any really basic questions. Just to flesh out my bio; I am strongest on the bike. Back in my younger days I could do a century with no ill effects. At that time a couldn't run a mile. Go figure. At the ripe old age of 31 I started playing rugby. LOTS of running involved in that. Hurt my shoulder and kind of dropped out. Fast forward to last year when I start going to the gym and running on the treadmill here and there and biking Saturday mornings.  My 2 biggest issues are swimming and nutrition. I can swim "kinda". Certainly not race ready. I need to get some coaching for that I suspect.

John 

Caius - thanks for putting that table together!  It really puts things in to perspective and it will make me more accountable.

Tracy

Yeah, I am trying to be carefull with this.  I started with an intermediate running club at my gym, and it starts well below my "healthy" abilities.  Last run was to set a base time for a mile(ish).

I'll try to take it easy.

Thanks for the program and the chart cauis!

-Jameson

Thanks for the chart, Caius!  I have an XTERRA on July 6th; the one that nailed me last year.  I'll eat its lunch this year.  I have another off-road, fun, tri in late Sept for a total of four tris this year.  Throw in 4 mtn bike races, possibly a duathlon in June, one 5k and a 12 hour mtn bike (fun) race (as a team, May 3rd) and it is a full season.

Took the day off from the office today and got a 35 mile bikeride in as today as the "long" bike day.  Now, to mow the yard, weedeat, etc.....

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

The calf continues to feel tight, but strong.  I did a slow 2.4k run today at a comfortable pace.  I'll continue to be careful with it though.