Shanks' kicking mentor thread! - Full...maybe

Hey Shank, I would love to be a part of your mentoring group.  Here is some of my story...

 I am happily married and we just had our 5th kiddie in 8 years, so training time is limited and precious.  I have been riding for 2 1/2 years and have logged over 10,000 miles (mostly before the sun comes up) and just finished the Body for Life challenge. I needed something else to keep me motivated in the short term and saw my gym was sponsering a Tri on my birthday, so that is where I will be. i will be posting all my excercises here as well as on bodybuilding.com and would love any help and advice you could offer me.  Let me know what you think and we'll go from there.

 Tim

Hey Shanks,

Would really like to join your group if you have room.

breif history

Have always played competitve soccer, baseball, and hockey here in Vancouver. I have been running for pobably 8 years now just for fitness 15 to 20 km a week and some races (5&10km) Lots of mountain biking on the world renown North Shore trail as well as commuting 20km each way 3 days a week from May to Oct

Went and watched Ironman Canada in 07 to support my brother, I was awe inspired by what I saw that day. I could not beleive what the human spirit and pure determination and guts could do for someone. I had watched IMC and Kona on TV before but to see the excitement the pain the agony the  sadness all in one race was unreal. Seeing racers get pulled off the coarse because of cutoff times and the dejection they had in there eyes after all they been thru, seeing all the people watching and cheeering and the whole atmosphere made me think I had to try it one day. Watching those athletes run down the last KM  some feeling great some not knowing what or where they were and some with family members running by there sides with so much pride was so moving it was something I hope to do one day.

I started training last Jan seriously for an OLY in July, could not swim a lap without taking a 30 sec rest, I thought I was fit, swimming brings you back to earth. Worked hard at it and improved with some good help and lots of video watching. My frist race was a learning experiance, but I loved it and wanted more. 3hrs 10 minutes was my time, slightly disapointed. Bonked big time after the bike. went to hard and did not watch my intake on a hot day. Learned lots

Crashed my bike 2 weeks later and was done for the year with a seperated shoulder. Back in the fold now and looking to do 3 races this year (Oly's) and a half marathon.

Ultimate goal, 2010 IMC

am prepared to do what it takes to get er done just need some strong advice and motivation to help me thru the tough days and my lack of knowledge and experiance

so hopefully we will talk some more

looking forward to hearing from all of you.

Dave

Hello Shank's

I currently live Lamar,Co (Southeast corner) Elevation Lowest in the state.

Used to run CC in High School fast time 15:30 but that was over 20 years ago. I am 40 years old married with 2 boys 16 and 11. I have 6 dogs

This past year I weighed myself June 1st and weighed in at 211 pounds so I started biking during my lunch hours anywhere from 7 to 15.5 miles and on weekends 20 to 40 miles a day. In August I started running finding out that after all the biking my knees didn't hurt anymore. Which out of all is my favorite. My lowest weight this year was 165 pounds so I lost quite a bit. Stopped drinking alot of cokes (biggest weakness) to maybe one a week andeven then it soesn't taste the same really not missing it.

Goals for this year are: Run a 1/2 marathon, 100+mile bike ride, a Triathelon

The Town I live in doesn't have an indoor pool so I have to wait until it opens in the spring.

I am also currently trying to heal up from a calf cramp that keeps nagging at me. Some says it is better than others.

If you have room and are interested I would love to be apart of this program.

You can see my logs over the past 2008 season and this year also.

 thanks Bryce 

 Hey Tim! Wow, that's a lot of kids! haha I can't even imagine trying to finding time to train in there! But that's what I'm hear for! What is the distance of the race at your Gym? what gym do you belong too? I'd definetly be interested in helping you out!

Hey Dave,

Welcome aboard man! IM Canada would be a sweet as race to do! Especially for your first one! Having an athletic background definetly helps too.

I can totally help you out with workouts and nutrition advice so you don't bonk at your next Oly. Feel free to shoot back with any questions!

Hey Shanks,

yeah, it is a lot, but I'm probably not going to leave any monatary legacy when I go, I may as well have left a few good human beings behind...

I am doing the Tri for Kids Sake at the Hempfield Rec Center in Lancaster, PA.

anyway, the tri is not that long... 325 meter indoor swim, 16 mile bike and 5k run.  I am confident that I will be able to complete the distances (especially the bike leg, it goes right past my house, so I know the roads pretty well) but I don't want to just complete, I want to COMPETE. The biggest weakness I have is swimming, as in, I don't swim. I mean, I can flop around in a pool, but not for any kind of distances.  I know that I'll be able to finish the swim, but any beginner drills you have would be great.  I was figuring that I would start off doing 25m at a time with 10 second rests inbetween and keep building up the distance and cutting out the rests.  I mean, it is only 325 meters, right?  6.5 laps. How worked up do I really need to be about it?  

The other thing is that this Tri is only one of 5 goals that I am going to accomplish before I am 32 (on the day of the tri), the rest are 1. to have a 6 pack 2. to weigh 165 (175 now) 3. to have my bf% >9% (11.5 now) and to bench 275 (250 now) so my training is not entirely focused on this tri, but no part of it is overtly counterproductive either.   I have a schedule worked out if you would care to take a look at it, maybe make some suggestions there, too. The jist of what I am doing now is lifting 3x/week (split one is chest, quads and Abs, split 2 is shoulders, bis and tris and split 3 is back, abs, calves and hamstrings) and then doing some type of cardio (recently Spinervals). Come March I am planning on cutting the lifting to 2x/week and adding swimming twice a week.  I think that 7 weeks should be enough for me to be able to be ok in the swim part of the tri.

Anyway, that is where I'm at.  Any guidance would be great, so let me have it.

Thanks,

Tim

Coach Sanks,

I am just in a building phase right now, I am going to start my BT  intermedialte OLY plan (20 week)  in Feb. for a June race, is there anything I can do in the meantime specifcally on the bike trainer to prepare for this. I need work on the bike, not as strong as I would like to be. Everyone I have spoken to regarding Ironman says you have to have a strong bike to get you thru the Run, train on hills and more hils. I know its a year and a half away but in my mind its all part of the process of getting there. Bike work now will help with my OLY'S this year as well. besides just doing the mileage on the program should I be doing hills, doing speed work, doing TT's that sort of thing. Any help would be awesome

Dave

Bryce! Coke is my biggest weakness too so I understand your struggle haha. I'd love to have you on board! That's also awesome how you were able to drop so much weight! It seems like running and biking events will take up most of your season with a few Tri's in the middle/end of the summer when your local pool or watering hole is warm enough to swim in. 

A few things that might help with the calf cramp would be taking up a yoga routine and proper stretching pre and post exercise. 

Have you found a Half marathon or a Century ride you'd be interested in doing? I was out in Colorado Springs for 5 months back in early '07. I'm thinking about flying out there to do Pikes Peak marathon this year...brutal race. 

Hi Shanks,

I'm down here in Texas...80 degrees yesterday, 40 today, go figure. I'm looking to race in a series of 6 triathlons in '09 beginning May 10 with a Rookie Tri in Austin, TX (300k/12k/2k) followed by the Austin Tri (First Tri Distance - 400k/10k/5k) on May 25th.  By the time the season is over, I hope to have progressed at least through the Austin Triathlon on September 7th and maybe the Longhorn 70.3 Half-Iron in October.  Can you get me there?

 I'm 33, married with two busy boys.  Work and commute.  But I'm committed.  I've been losing weight (30 pounds) and building an aerobic base for the past 6 months.  I'm running a 5k next week (The Houston Marathon EBK 5k) to kick start my official training.  I actually began a 20 week training program several weeks ago and am running 30-40 minutes 2-3 times per week (ran my first 4 miler long today - cold wind, hot sun, hills, UGH), swimming 600-1000 yards 3 times per week, and will begin biking next week (waiting on the call that my bike is in and ready to be fitted)!  

I was a competitive athlete in high school and college but my involvement did not include long distance running, any swimming, or any cycling.  I can swim, but have had no formal training.  I began the training program and most recently swam 1000 yards with a few seconds break between most 25's, but did swim 2 100's with no break.  So, it's getting better.  I intend to join a master's program for instruction twice a week, beginning next week. 

 I'm new to Beginnertriathlete so I haven't yet begun a training log, but I do keep one on paper.  I'll get it up and running shortly.

This group seems like the right mix of new thriathlete and competitor for me.  I won't seek a first place finish (yet), but I don't play for participants sake, just not my style.  And you seem like just the guy to push me forward.

 Hope you still have room, I'd love to join your group.

 Kedra

There is a Century bike ride in Santa Fe, New Mexico  May 17, 2009  It will take you through Madrid, NM also  as for runs I haven't found any yet haven't really looked but will start planning now that I know my on-call schedule.

 Thanks for having me.

 I guess what I am most frustrated with right now is the diet portion. I feel as if I have been eating clean and well, but I feel like I am putting weight on in the wrong places (like my gut) and I am starting to get frustrated. I'll start tracking my food on this site on Monday so you can help me with that, too. 

 Thanks

Here goes nothing.   Post number one, it's all down hill from here.   If you still have room, I'd love to join your group.

 Here are my details.

Name:  Zac

Family: Married for 8 years. 

 Current training:  Until April of last year I was a couch potatoe.   Then I started walking and doing what ever I could to move.  As of december I was 40 pounds lighter than when I started.   Currently, I'm run/walking 2 miles 3 times a week and starting to ride my mountain bike.

 2009 race:  Don't know yet.  I want to find a "newbie" race near the end of the summer in the PA area.

Weightloss:  My goal is to lose another 50 pounds this year to get nearer to an ideal weight.  Since I'm now hooked on working out, this should be easy.

I would love to jump in if its not closed yet...

Here are my details.

Name:  Amanda

Family: Getting Married July 11th   ...we live together and have two cats :0

 Current training: I'm a former top d-1 athlete with more of a weightliftin background and after taking about 10 months off ( to live the non-crazy sports / workout life that has consumed me since I was about 5) and quickly started drinking to much, put on some weight even though I would occ. workout but then go drink 6-10 beers and just over all unhappy withmyself....I started training seriously in Oct. I stopped drinking on Sept 29th. Now I am on the 16 week 3x Olympic plan

 2009 race:  I am doing my first 5k on Feb. 1st, followed by 2 more 5ks and my first Sprint Tri. on March 29th. I am hoping to add 3-4 more running races possible up to a half marathon and a tri up to olympic...oh yea and get married

Weightloss:  Since Oct. I am down 20lbs. I started at 186 in Oct. ( my heaviest being 194 but that was a few years ago when I was training) I am down to 164-167 depending on the day and hydration. I would like to get to around 152 ( I don't know why I picked that number) and the stay stable between 155-159. I'm 6'0 so I'm not sure how I would look being that skinny with all my muscle I have on my body

Hey Guys/gals,

Thank you for all your post, I promise to respond to each of you and welcome you to the group. This past week has been crazy at work, a few games and lots of projects but tis the life of working in Pro Sports. 

Keep up all your training and I'll get back to all of you in a few days! 

Also to all those lurking, I'm closing down this group... sorry!!! I might re-open in another week once I can catch up on work and blogging. 

Shanks

Question on running form. I was reading a post on another site about foot striking the ground

Heel Strike vs forefoot 

what are the advantages and disadvantages of each one. Does one help reduce injuries, cause less fatigue during the run and help with speed.

Is there a video clip of the different foot strikes

Thanks

Dude that race sounds awesome!! I might actually do it!!! haha. 

Ahhh that swim shouldn't be too bad and I've seen swims like this where people walk in the shallow end then swim the deep end. However the swim can take a lot out of you if you're not effective. I'd try and get in the pool 2-3x a week with your main goal of being able to swim 400 non stop about a week before the race! Focus on keeping your head down which will raise your hips and make it easier to swim. 

Your plan sounds good, feel free to email me a more detailed breakdown and I can help you out. [email protected] is the email. 

Check out this CORE workout. It's what I do and it helps. Shedding weight and gaining muscle will help you cut the body fat part however won't really help your swimming out :-)

Shanks

Dave,

The best thing you can do right now is to just stay active. Since you are about to entered a structured workout where you'll only be focusing on Swim/Bike/Run for 20 weeks I'd say just play around for now. Getting some time in on the bike won't hurt as I know biking has always been my weakness! But do some cardio classes, some light lifting, and other things that will just get your heart going but that's not specifically swim/bike/run. 

Yeah I need to bike more, I have done 3 ironmans and always blow up on the run, which is a combo of bad nutrition and not enough time on the bike! You should totally mix up the workouts and not just do the mileage. You'll have your long day for base, then the 2 shorter days should be 1 tempo and 1 intervals. Start easy then over the weeks you can build into harder stuff. 

Shanks

Being on a ship for 6 months can really hinder your performance, haha. I am guessing that they have exercise bikes and treadmills? Your best bet would be to keep up on those when out to sea and use lifting to work your swimming muscles (shoulders and back), but don't lift heavy, lift for endurance aka light weights and high reps. 

It sounds like you have a solid running base and the bike will come along. A great idea for you would be to try and find a masters group in your area that you can swim with. That way you'll have someone on deck looking at your stroke and will be able to help you correct it though drills and proper workouts. Plus swimming with others always gets me going!! until they touch my feet that is haha. 

Shanks

Kedra,

 Glad to have you on board! I'm pretty sure you could get to the Half Ironman level by the end of the season, but it seems what you might be looking for would be more of a full time coach and not just a mentor to answer everyday questions. I am glad to help you out as much as I can within the boundaries of a Mentor and not crossing over to a coaching aspect.  However if that's something you wanted then I can help you there too ;-)

 I like your fire, your desire, the passion behind those words is intense!! I hope you can keep that fire lit for a long time! It seems like you've been going strong and dropping weight, which always helps. Another helpful fact will be joining that Masters group. That way someone is there watching over you and helping out your stroke. It looks like swimming will be your weakness (as it is with many first time triathletes).

I've got the same style as you do, I don't want to "just finish" even though that sometimes becomes the goal during an Ironman race. I'm out there to push my body to its limits and see what I'm capable of! Hopefully I can be there to push you when you need it with advice and tips to get you to that kicking state! 

Shanks

As long as you think you can build up to that Century then I'd say do it! I did my first Century when my longest ride was 50 miles the weekend before... needless to say I had no idea about nutrition and when I finally finished, 8+ hours later, I was shaking because I hadn't eaten enough. I actually got in trouble when I pulled over on the highway to take a nap on the way home... apparently that isn't a safe idea haha. 

Hey!!! I hope everyone had a great day,

Just a quick question....I have a solid biking base can ride for 90-120 minutes no problem and running is fine...its this damn swimming. I'm currently doing that 0-1650 swim program

http://ruthkazez.com/ZeroTo1mile.html

And was just wondering with my tri being a little over  2 1/2 months away should I be focusing on something else, or a different style of building a swim base.....

 Thanks again