Super Cats Mentor Group - CLOSED

Of course... Im guessing yuo mostly need someone to make sure yuo are sticking with it.

That marathon under 3 hour goal you have is pretty ambitious!

Hi - absolutely!

Welcome - why dont you introduce yourself? Id love to know a little about who you are and what you would like to achieve this season.

As well as anything specific you would like me to help out with and what you hope to get out of the mentor program.

Cat

After hitting refresh constantly for the first week of April and hoping the mentor group would restart, I just realized that they had begun again.  I am so glad that this program exists because I have a few questions and want to learn what I don't know yet.  I have to admit that I love your enthusiasm and the fact that you actually write more than I do in your post. 

Name: Shawn

Family Status:  Engaged – after 4 years of engagement (not to mention 9 years together), we’re finally tying the knot in November.  Even her father told me that he knew it wasn’t my fault it was taking so long though!

Current Training:  I am doing the Couch to Sprint 12 week RPE program.

2008 Races: Unless you count my mad dashes from the couch to the fridge or chasing my cat around the apartment, I did not race in ’08.

2009 Goals:  The Ironcald Sprint Tri (5/31) and Long Island Gold Coast Sprint Tri (6/21).  I want to do an Olympic and should sign up for one in the fall but I don’t trust myself to even finish the sprints.  I’m basically waiting to see how the sprints go before I try anything bigger.

I guess my only other goal is to build a solid foundation for all three events and to stay healthy.  I was always one of those “maximum effort” type of guys when I played sports so my body is a bit beat up.  Couple that with being sedentary and overweight and I get some strange aches and pains.

Weightloss:  I like food a little too much and I have enjoyed it more than a little too much over the past few years so I need to work off about 45 lbs or so.  I have already lost 20lbs from my all time high a few years ago.

Misc – I moved a bunch as a kid but spent most of my time in New England towns, particularly in Maine.  I now live in one of the boroughs of New York City.  I wish I could remember exactly when I finally decided to look more seriously into triathlons but I have been thinking about doing one for nearly a year now.  Triathlon is a huge change from all of the teams spots like baseball, ice hockey and football that I played growing up, in College and even afterwards.  I really am looking forward to this group and pushing myself in a whole new way.

I am also hoping I can catch some of your positive attitude and persevering spirit!

I would love love love to be a mentee

About me:  I started my tri journey as a New Years resolution in January 2008.  Figured if I could compete in a hand full of races, my weight would just end up where it should be.  Nope.  At age 32, being married and having a kiddo, the body has to be relentlessly worked into a reasonable shape.  Round is a shape, right?!?!  I'm working on it. 

Weight:  I started out very overweight.  Lost 15 lbs. in 2008, and hope to double that this year.  I have every intention of keeping on keeping on!  I love this sport.

Past events:  I completed 3 sprints tris last year along with a 50 mile ride. 

Goals:  I would like to do and Oly at the end of this year or beginning of next, and I will complete at least a 1/2 Mary in spring of 2010.  I would like to also do a century next summer.

SO, if you'll have me...

Hi Shawn, Hi crews - welcome! 

Im just heading out the door to work so will reply with a bit more detail shortly!

Ok I promised i would reply more thoroughly so here goes:

Looks like we are all in the middle of loosing weight so in the coming weeks i think it would be great for us all to share whats worked for us. Its very true that exercise is only part of the equation... but being fitter and more active reduces a HUGE amount of the risk factors for carrying extra weight so thats excellent!

Shawn Id love to hear what you think of the training plan you are following - are you finding any of it too hard or too easy?

For everyone - which of the 3 sports are your strengths and which are your weaknesses and why?

Personally my strength is swimming because Ive been doing it my whole life. My weakness has always been running because Ive been avoiding it my whole life Coupled with all the little niggles that you get and injuries that make it more and more challenging to persevere with.

Please feel free to ask questions anytime as well as share your success and challenges with training.

Once we have a full group I will get one of those little linky boxes made with everyones names for your log so we can easily leave inspires etc for each other. I will try and get to everyones logs most days.

I tend to be a bit wordy (just so you know)

Cat

I will post some particulars shortly about myself and my goals shortly.  Some of you may know a few things about me but I assume that most of you don't.  So intro to come shortly!

As far as strengths and weaknesses go I would have to say running is easily my strength.  Running just comes easy to me.  I realized in HS that I had a knack for being able to run.  While I love to go ride my bike nothing seems to relieve the stress like a good hard run!  I would have to say that swimming is my greatest weakness.  When I was encouraged to try triathlons I had not swam a day in my life.  I had been in the pool as a kid but that was the extent of my swim experience.  I'm the kind of person that if I can't do something I will kill myself trying to figure it out.  A couple of winters ago I spent time in the pool everyday and managed to get my swim just about average! 

Welcome - offically! You are a running god!

I would have to go with swimming as my strength, running as my weakness, and biking as my new love.  Bought a new bike just last week, and it should be here in the next 3 days.  I am ecstatic! 

Looks like this is going to be a great group of folks 

Hi Cat, Crews, and El Flaco!

The training plan I am using, because it is time based and I have only been able to work out inside, is sort of as hard or easy as I make it.  Looking back over my logs, I think I did not push the bike hard enough, advanced my running a little too quickly, and might have hit the swimming just about right.  I think I have finally found the equilibrium between too hard and not hard enough but it is a fine line.

I think the only thing that doesn’t seem to be working for me is that the plan calls for 6 days of training and I am usually only able to do 5 before my body (or life) starts complaining.  I love the fact that it includes drills, weight training and a little direction since endurance training is a completely different animal from the type of training I used to do in the past (mainly weights and plyometrics for explosive movements).  Overall, I really like the plan.

My biggest event weaknesses are the run, the bike and the swim.  I was never trained in any of them and am decidedly awful in all of them at the moment.  :P

The run because it hurts my legs if I push it too hard and because running was always a means to an end or even a punishment when I was planning sports.  It’s been a whole change in mindset to look at as anything but either one of those things.

It didn’t help that the my high school track coach used to laugh at me when we were doing wind sprints on the baseball field and ask my coach if he taught me the “pick’em up and put’em down method of running.”  I’m enjoying the little advances I seem to make most weeks but I can’t say that I am enjoying it yet.

The bike because I’ve only been on a trainer so far and will be riding a 10 year old mountain bike that I just pulled out of mothballs after 7 years for my first couple of races.  I actually am looking forward to getting better and spending more time on the bike though.

The swim because I am not quite as bad as the guy who was absolutely PUNISHING the water last night while he swam (it looked and sounded like he was brawling with it), but I don’t hold any delusions that I’m the Thorpedo either. (Do I get bonus points for the Aussie swimmer reference?).  I’m trying to build upon swimming lessons that I last took over 20 years ago.  I like the technical aspect of it though and am enjoying it so far.

I tend to be wordy too so don’t worry.  People will much rather read your stuff than my drivel.  :D

Thats a new one to me - you might need to define it better... are you legs under the water like the are meant to be (just under near the surface) or are they up too high/sinking?

Which part of the leg is noticing it?

When yuo are focusing on finishing your stroke - Im assuming you are referring to good and entry and extending the arm forward for the catch...

Given my post count you are welcome to talk to yourself all you like!!!! Sorry Im late online today - I had a 9am meeting!

Seems to me like it might be good to kick thigns off talking about swimming in general anyway

Just a warning... cycling is REALLY addictive! Especially when the weather is good and yuo have a new toy - what did you buy?

Ive got a new bike coming too - Its in the shop waiting for me to finish paying it off... thats just killing me knowing I cant take it home yet!!!

What are you doing to work on your weakness running? Do you have a method you are using to help build it up? Are you using the run/walk method or something else?

Swimming is really a funny one because its SO technique based but good body position in the water will allow you to get away with a multitude of other since swimming (not that I condone just getting away with it!)

The other thing I find is swimmers who arent quite as strong will muscle their way through the water and finish in an MOP time only they are expending a LARGE amount of energy to do it.

If anyone wants some swim programs/drills let me know. Im always writing them for other people and I can teach you how to write them yourself too!

Hi Shaun - I have a whole bunch to cover from your post so you might want to get a coffee while you read this!!!

Firstly - I know you are using a time based plan but are you making sure to vary the types of workouts you are doing and mix up your hard days and your easy days? For example if you are going to do a challenging ride one day dont follow it up with an interval run the next day... space out the hard workouts wherever possible.

Secondly - the 6 day a week thing. I actually find a lot of the time I function better on a 5 day a week training regime too... especially if Ive had a bit of down time. 5 days a week of training is PLENTY of time to get you ready for a sprint race so listen to yuor body. If right now it needs 2 days off every week or even every second week go for it!  Just make sure if you miss workouts they are in your strengths or weights workouts rather than what you consider you weakness

Thirdly - the run... I cannot say this loudly enough - BE CAREFUL! You have to be REALLY conservative when increasing run distance or time or frequency. Increase any of this too fast and you WILL get injured. To start with running 3 times a week is plenty and your run should including some walking too! I never liked it either but I do get a buzz when I finish a run session.

Also on the run... make sure you go to a REAL running shoe shop and get fitted with the right shoes. This is the single MOST IMPORTANT investment you can make on yuor long term training health and the strongest contribution you can make to staying injury free. The other MUST DO is stretching... dedicate time at the end of every workout (or every run workout as a minimum) to stretch out your body focusing on flutes, quads, hamstrings calves and achilles. If you are like me and succumb to aches/pains and niggles this will be a saving grace for your body.

I also use compression socks but there is no HARD evidence that they help just a personal feeling so if you want to try something like this... or even the dreaded ice baths that is entirely your choice.

Next up - your bike! The great thing about tris is its fine to ride any bike you have available - so your mountain bike will be perfect. Recommendations I have is to take it straight to a bike shop for a look over and service before you get one it. If yuo have a little bit of cash you can change the mountain bike tyres to slicks which will make the whole riding thing that little bit easier (and faster!) for a minimal investment. Once again talk to the shop and see what they recommend.

In terms of yoru swimming - keep with it! Are you doing drills? What are you strengths and weaknesses? (ie do your legs sink? Can you float on yuor back without sinking? etc)

Hope some of this helps!

Cat

Hi welcome! Yes absolutely you would be a great mentee

Please introduce yourself I would love to have you as part of our group!

Ps: No worries on the cape - we will ahve you feeling super in no time!

Welcome! It would be great to have a name so I know what to call you! Or will patch do?

Forgive me but Im going to ask a bunch of questions in here so just a warning! Im trying to get to know you better and where I can help.

When it comes to your knees Im guessing you have the all clear for swimming and riding from the doctor. What is the call on running? Are you able to do it/do you have guidelines on how to ease into it?

With your rehab exercises - how long do they take and how often do you have to do them? My suggestion would be (if they only take say 10-15 minutes) to roll them into another workout. For example if you have a ride first it will warm up your muscles and joints - then you can do your rehab work and have a stretch which would be a great way to get your workouts in. The same could work for a swim if yuor pool has a gym facility.

Have you picked/signed up for your first race yet? When is it? Having a timeframa/date that you are aiming for will be great in working out what/how much training you need to do and when.

Are you using a training plan from BT or elsewhere? If not what does your weekly training look like? What specific sessions are you doing in the pool, on the bike, running and strength/pt?

If you dont have your training worked out yet we can look at that together but just need to workout what time your realistically have to train and how much exercise you have been getting in the last month to work out where to go from here.

Sorry I ask a lot of questions!!!! Just trying to get to know you right now

Ok - I have a small request! If you arent already can I suggest you use your BT logs to track your workouts. Its great as we can see what everyone is doing and it helps you compare how your workouts are going over time!

It also means that we can leave inspires on each others logs. Inspires are a great way of offering a bit of advice, support or just motivation for each other with a note on peoples logs and I will try and get around everyones training logs several times a week to see how you are going.

Warning: My logs can be as wordy as my posts!

Dont let your logs this stop you from posting here on this thread to share how things are going, what your challenges are and asking for advice. We can all learn from each other and offer each other support and motivation.

I will add you all to my friends list too so I have easy access to your logs and if you can it would be great if we all did the same

Your replies are why I love you! You are so thoughtful and always willing to encourage anybody.  The fellow mentees have no idea what they are getting in a mentor.  And yes I have had bad ones!

Aaaw thanks hon... you are so sweet!!!