DG's Group - We're FULL! 2010 here we come!

My name is Dave, I'm 26 years old from Northern Virginia, and I'd like to join your mentoring group. 

I got into tris this past season and its become my competitive outlet.  I played baseball in college and had been looking for something to fulfill that empty hole left after graduating.  After a couple people I knew finished the New York City Olympic race and pretty much said that I couldn’t do any better than them, I got to training.  I ended up at 2:31:19 for the race, which I was pretty happy with.  I ended up racing in one more Olympic this past year and didn’t have as good a race (flat tire, tried to make up time, died at the end).

This coming year Im planning to do a couple HIMs and some Olypmic races as they fit into the training plan.  My goals for this winter are to improve my swimming (so that Im not just surviving) and to become a solid runner (to finish a race strong).  My strongest area is my biking, and this will be my first year with a trainer, so I could probably use some help with this too.  I just started picking up my training for the winter, the first race Im thinking of doing is in April (Olympic) and the first big race would be the first week in May (Half).  HIMs in July and September, another Olympic in August.  Races still haven’t opened to registration, so the schedule could change some.

Im not really looking to lose much weight.  I dropped around 15lbs this past season since I cut out the heavy lifting.  Im currently at 175lbs and raced last season at 170lbs, and I plan to do about the same this season.

I could use guidance as I train, especially since Im moving up in distances.  Let me know if you think I fit in with your training group.

Dave

Hi Damon,

I'd like to join if you'll have me

NAME: Gerardo aka Chezz  

STORY: Hi I am originally from Guatemala and moved to NC 2 years ago with my wife.  After much southern cooking, gained like 20 pounds and we decided to take up running.  It began with weightloss thing but as we saw improvements, we got hooked.  Started with a couple of 5ks and onto 2 half marys, the latter was terrrible.  This summer, we joined a running group and began a more structured training and really improved.  Ran the Chicago RnR Half Marathon and dropped 8 min of PR, still slow but i'm getting there.  My wife then got sidelined by the doctor and my training began to suffer, with no partner close by, running just got boring and looked to diversify and decide to tri. 
No background in cycling, little swimming, I am really looking foreward to my first TRI season in 2010!

FAMILY STATUS: Married for almost 3 yrs, no kids

CURRENT TRAINING: Building up base with a winter program, I am focusing on swim drills mostly before getting into some endurance and speed. 

THIS YEAR'S RACES (2010): 2 sprints Belew's Lake Aril, Tri Latta June12, Whitelake International Sept and hoping to squeeze in 2 half mary's in preparation for Chicago Full Marathon

2009 RACES: Nashville Half, Chicago Half, several 5K.


WEIGHTLOSS: I regained lost weight after training began to decline and would like to lose 20 lbs 

WHAT WILL MAKE ME A GOOD MENTEE: I'm a a competitive person, had mostly focused on sports where you could beat someone else: soccer, tennis, squash.  Really had a breakthrough when I saw that in running I was competing against myself (although I have to admit, when I finally beat my wife in the 5k, felt really sweet!!!).  I like to reasearch and always welcome good feedback and hope the mentor group and BT will help me keep on track with my training!

Hope to hear back from you
i look forward to hearing from you.......

Check your PMs.  Some got sent twice.  Sorry about that.

OK folks
Here we go.  Over the next day or two I will be responding to each of your bios (on this thread of course) and together we'll come up with a basic plan that should fit on top of the plan you have been working.  If you do not have a training plan yet, don't sweat it.  We can come up with one together.  It should be fairly easy.  What plans are folks already using?  Are they working for you?  If you look at my log you'll see my "actual" hours way undershadow my "planned" hours.  I am using a mix of the the BT 17 week Ironman and my Training Peaks Ironman plan I have used for the past two years.  The BT is much too aggressive for me during my base but using both is a good mix.

Starting Friday the 18th, please try and log something in your workout log daily, or at least every other day.  If I don't see an update I'll poke you for one.  Nothing personal.  Even if you don't feel like working out just log something like "didn't feel it today" or "It's too COLD in Canada" to move.  If you don't see anything on mine please poke me as well.  It's a two way street. 

As we look at your season "A" races we'll look at a periodization (prep, base, build, race) with some rest periods in-between.

Does everyone know their Heart Rate Zones?  If not, we can figure that out as well.  There are formulas and field test you can do.   Understanding your HR zones and training will not only allow you finish your races, but you'll finish stronger and FASTER than the folks that just go hard and "blow up" at the end.  Expensive equipment is nice to have I guess, but your heart is your engine and that will get you to the finish line if you train it the right way.  I did my first sprint on a hybrid bike (you could have put a basket on the front) and still finished in 1:05.  I beat most of the other folks in my age group on their fancy Cervelos and carbon wheels.   All because my coach beat HR training into me. 

I will PM my cell phone number.  Call me anytime ( I am East Coast time) if you need to discuss something. 

I am looking forward to a great 2010.  Cheers to many PRs and race finishes.