Broompatrol's Group - FULL

Chris - I am excited to get back into the sport not just for the discipline of it, but I'm ready to drop about 40 lbs and get back in the pool.

 I played waterpolo in high school, ride avidly and am ready to start running again. I have done all of things and even done a sprint tri, but I need to be more devoted to body and the the diet.

 Would you be willing to mentor me for a couple of months?

Hi Chris,

My Name is Christi, your story is an inspiring one. I am not athletic, I am extremely overweight, previously unmotivated & lazy. I have been trying to change all of that since September 22, 2008 when I had a light bulb moment and thought to myself that I am wasting my life. I am 31, not married, no children. I am a Youth Pastor to some amazing kids....and I am a former quiter! If things get too difficult I quit. So I have determined in my mind that I am not going to quit getting in shape, I am not going to quit on myself, nor am I going to quit moving forward. I have lost 20 pounds so far and am going to continue slowly but surely!! I have a weight loss goal of 80 pounds before September 22, 2009.

I am training for the Lone Star Tri on Galveston Island, TX on April 3rd. It is a sprint distance of 500 m swim, 12.5 mile bike, & 5k run.  I have been training now for about 5 weeks. I started at only being able to run half a mile but have slowly progressed to a little more than 2 miles. So far the training hasn't been that difficult. I have been able to push myself to complete everything which absolutely BLOWS my mind that I can make my body run! I am definitly not fast but I am surely pushing myself beyond what I thought was possible.

My Goals: I am not sure what goals to have beyond completing this triathlon, not being last and being able to run 3. 1 miles in under 36 minutes.

I know to many running 3.1 miles in 36 minutes may seem ridiculously slow, but it's my goal to beat!

 HOpe to hear from you soon!

Christi

Christi, the Lone Start Tri is in April, Correct?

Besides the running, how is the swimming and biking coming?

Wade, so I take it from water polo you aren't the fastest swimmer but you are quite comfortable climbing over other people in the water, and are able to function totally hypoxic while getting kicked in the face underwater? Tri swimming must seem pedestrian to you.

I've been thinking that our converstaions should occur in the forum and we will also check in with each other on our blogs. It is suggested that the mentor do weekly articles. I think that would be fun. I'm thinking that I won't try to reinvent the wheel by restating what can be easily found in any magazine or thread, but cover things that I have experienced that don't seem to get covered much. I may also make attempts at humor from time to time so bear with me.

Hey Chris,

Yes the Lone Star is April 3rd. I'm getting excited! Swimming and cycling are going well. I swim at a local pool and do swim drills and sets. I have been training on a mountain bike but just purchased a very inexpensive road bike hoping its better than a mountain bike! That thing sucked! My biggest struggle so far is the running. It seems to be the most difficult on my body.

I purchased a sprint training plan before I knew of all the plans here on BT so I am continuing to follow that. It has worked out pretty well for me so far.

 Looking forward to your articles and all the help!!

I would love to be part of this group for the mentoring and motivation. 

 I am fast approaching my 30th birthday and hate my body and its current limitations.  I am 5"10 and weigh 257 pounds.  I currently want to do many sports but am very limited by the shape I am currently in.  A couple of years ago they started holding a olympic distance tri in the city I live in.  I have been mesmerized by the sport since.  I have tried to start several times but have never been able to stick with it.  For my 30th birthday present to myself I want to get into shape and finish a sprint level tri in the month of october. 

As far as family I am married and have a wonderful 2-year old son. 

I have started training a little bit.  I would love to share with you what my plan is and you can tell me if it is realistic or not. 

Thanks in advance

Giancarlo

Giancarlo,

 Welcome to the group! Are you currrently doing any sort of training right now?

Good news is that 9 months is plenty of time to get ready for a Sprint!

I am

there is a training program on this site called couch to sprint 22 weeks.  It is by michael pate I believe.  My plan has been to do this but repeat each week so each week being done twice especially in the beginning.  I am currently omitting the swim portion and plan to start that in May. or at the point when I have 22 weeks till my race.  I am looking at a race on October 4th in Georgia.  I live in North Carolina. 

 The first week and a half hasn't been bad and I have lost a few pounds which is good

Do think this is a good plan? I appreciate any input

Thanks again for your willingness to help

Hi! I am hoping I can join in.

Me: My name is Angela. I am 30 y.o. and got sucked into trying my first triathlon in June. It is a 500m/15mile/5K. I have 2 kids and work 2 part time jobs in the nursing field.

I just recently quit smoking so the lung capacity is shot but I am wanting something to give me focus to finally get my bum in complete shape. I have never been much of an fitness buff, a couple times a week at the gym, not pushing myself too hard as I did it for mostly weight loss to go on this vacation or this reunion... I would be happy to lose 10 lbs but it's mostly that I am out of aerobic shape. I have some of the strength but no endurance.

I am doing this with a total of 11 other moms/friends, so it will be nice to have the local support but feel that I am on the bottom as far as fitness goes! Anyways, I have the motivation, but nervous as I am not sure what to expect of it or if I am being too unrealistic at this point in my fitness goals. I need the strict training schedule and peer pressure to keep me going or I could just as well sit at home and consider doing laundry as my exercise for the day. I am giving it my all.

We are not formally doing the "training" program right now but I am boosting up my fitness routine to try and get at a place to even start the hard core stuff. I am looking for honest review of my training, help when needed, and no hysterical laughing when I tell ppl what I am doing! I am excited and terrified all at the same time!

I need all the help I can get!!

Welcome Chris and Angela,

It looks like we have a mixed group which is awesome. Since we have 5 now, I think I'm going to close the group so I don't get overwhelmed. Looking at the bios, it seems to me that everybody has a lot to offer, so feel free to share!

Angela, good job with the smoking. Quitting smoking was one of the most challenging things I have ever done. When something seems daunting I say, "If I can quit smoking I can do that.." Its also really cool that you have a group to train with.

Good news for everybody is that endurance is the most trainable aspect of fitness in humans. So a beginner can expect to see quick gains in endurance over the short term.

Regarding the generic training plans:

I think they are great for someone starting out. They are usually very sensible and are designed to get you to your maximum potential for a specific event. Another nice thing about the plans, is it is a great way to get a feel for the training without the expense of a coach, so you can evaluate if it is something you want to keep doing or just as a one time thing.

Some drawbacks are they do not take into account wanting to do more than one event in a season and they do not take into account individual circumstances like schedule or is maybe you are already a great swimmer and need extra work on another discipline.

The toughest thing for me about training plans is figuring out which ones to miss if you have too.

One nice thing about sprint distance is you don't need a hydration or nutrition strategy. You can do just fine with plain water during the race.

Giancarlo,

My father-in-law wants us to move to N. Carolina. I hear it is a very friendly place to live and a good place for triathlon.

Are you omitting the swim for now because of time, or because it is your least favorite discipline?

The faster you swim the slower you can run!

Chris,

Did you wife do the triathlon, too?

Sorry to hear about your knee. Its very frustrating to have your goals sidelined from an injury. I had to stop swimming in June from a shoulder injury. I was hoping to do a 1/2 IM in 2009, but that looks out of the question right now. I have the Orange County Marathon on my calendar instead.

Your story highlights a common issue even among trained athletes. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Many people add too much mileage too quickly because endurance gains come much faster than your skeleton and soft tissues adapt, leading to injuries, becuae all of a sudden your runs seem easy, so you go too far or too fast.

If you ever wanted to try a marathon again its possible that a year or 2 of consistent shorter distance running will give your body the adaptations to handle a marathon.

I started bodybuilding before I did triahtlon, so I came into the sport with really good strength, which helped me avoid injuries. I was under the false inpression I was injury proof. This past season I hurt my shoulder and back because I was not taking proper care of myself between workouts with rest, flexibility and strenghthing.

Me and my wife love North carolina we moved from michigan and have no plans to go back.  We love the mild winters (less than 5 inches of snow a year and average highs no lower than the fifties)

As for the swimming for several reasons

1.  For some reason the last time I tried swimming when i was still heavy I felt really light headed when getting out of the pool.  So I thought I would drop some wieght before getting back in the pool

2. Because it is not a convient thing for me to gain access to a pool where I live.  Starting in June I will be on a campus in PA going to school and will have daily access to a pool and when I get back to NC outdoor pools will still be open as well as beaches. 

3.  Also I  thought it would be a bit easier transition from sedentary to just focus on two things at first.  I haven't worried too much about it becuase I would still have about 22 weeks to prepare for the swim. 

Thats my story on that

 Do you think this plan will work or should I try to get some swimming in before I have stated?

Chris -

Are you accepting anyone else into your group?  Let me tell you a little about myself, then you can let me know.  I am married with 3 grown daughters, 2 lovely granddaughters, and 2 great step-grandsons.  I liked your introduction because I had surgery on my shoulder in June 2008, but am still unable to get full range of motion with it.  I have been in physical therapy for months, but am not progressing.  I am hoping that swimming will help me get it back in shape.

Two years ago, our youngest daughter had her thyroid removed, afterwhich they told us it was cancerous.  She and I decided that when she was "well", we would train for a sprint length triathlon.  She's doing great and has been working out and is getting in good shape, but I have dropped the ball on my end.  So, I am ready to start training.

 I am 50# overweight and have printed the "couch to sprint" 22 week program; I will begin training on Monday.  I joined a health club this past week, so that I would have access to a pool.  I have a 10 speed bike that I plan on training on.  My husband traded his motorcycle for some cash and 2 10speeds 30 years ago when our oldest daughter was born, so the bike is old, but in decent repair.  I do a little running, but am the slowest in the pack.

I would love to join your group, but will understand if you have too many.  Thanks.

Pam

It appears that you still have openings in your mentor group.  If so, may I join?  I am also doing the Lonestart sprint tri in April in Galveston with a group of ladies in my neighborhood.

 I was a sprinter in college (100-200 meters), and I have been running short distance (5K max) for many years.  However, after having a first child and then twins, I have about 20-30 pounds to lose and need something concrete to motivate me to get back in serious shape. 

 I am doing the silver plan 12 week training plan and am now in week 2.  Run is fine, although I need to get used to running after bike/swim, but am quite worried about the swim.  I can only do about 1 lap of freestyle before having to swim on my side or backstroke.  I am in decent cardio shape.  do you have any suggestions on what I can do (other than the 6 days of workouts on plan) to make sure that I don't drown and do you think 11 more weeks is enough.  Quite frankly, at this point, I just need to be sure that I can finish the swim (I should be able to gut out the rest) and hopefully not be so far behind.

Hello Chris,

 I would love to join your group is your still taking people. 

I am a divorced 44 yr old mother of 2 (Daughter 21 & Son 19). I have done triathalons in my mid to late teens and early 20's. I am looking foward in getting back into triathalons once more. I was nerver really active in any sports other that the 3 componates of the tri's.

I am looking foward to having my first triathalon in Gratemala, the date is not yet posted, but i do know it will not until the monthes of August - Octorber. As far as the distance of it, again it is not posted. I will be going back and forth to Guatemala regularaly were i do have my future inlaws living. 

Looking foward to hearing from you soon.

Hey everyone!

Sorry I was MIA. I have been on jury duty, and my wife and daughter are all ill with the same virus that has been going around where I live. SO I have been pretty busy and letting some things slide.

Anyway, if they haven't found a group, yet we're going to have even more members. One of my favorite features on this website is the 'inspire' button on the training logs. When you are viewing another's log you can leave a message (hopefully motivating) regarding their training. I encourage you guys to build a base of support by adding each other as friends in the control panel. Even if you have nothing in common, everybody likes to hear "ood job" or "don't give up!" here and there.

If you want reagular feedback on your training and goals I really suggest using the training log and this forum to let each other in on what's going on with your training.

Chris,

Its awesome that your wife is supportive of you. Family support goes a long way. Thier goodwill is important if you decide to make Triathlon a lifestyle. If you can get her out on runs with you all the better (tell her your mentor says she has to run with you )

To answer your question about weightraining. The orthodox view is basically that strength is good, but bulk is not helpful to performance in triathlon. What that means is you don't need to lift weights to be successful, but it is prudent to maintain strength. Really, you need to decide what your goals are. If you want to look hot and aren't worried about your times so much, then lifting may play a bigger role, than if you want ot be the fastest guy in your age group. If your goal is simply to stay healthy there are basic floor exercises that work on your core and back are helpful.

Welcome!

How many tris have you done? I'm guessing by your age that it was in the 80's. You probably have learned a few things that would be helpful to the rest of us.