amschrod's mentor group - FULL

Started training for my first triathlon at 49 (for just a short time more).  I ran a marathon a few years back, but kids, work injuries etc.   I was glad to see someone like you doing some mentoring.  Finishing the race without drowning would be good.  I am about two weeks into serious training, and will likely have many questions on gear, training etc.

Hello Anthony:

I'd like to join your group.

STORY: I've never raced or trained for a Tri. before Feb of this year.   I'm 42 years old, and have run 2 marathons.  My first was brutal, finishing (hobbling) in with a time of 5:03.  My second one was better with a finish time of 4:22.  The course for both was the Akron Road Runner Marathon which is an awesome race but very hilly.  I've struggled with injury over the years mostly because of inconsistency and lack of 'restraint'; too much too soon.  I get delusional sometimes.....I can win, I can win, I know I can!  I swam in high school and have lifted weights consistently inconsistent over the years =).  I also do my training alone.

FAMILY STATUS: Married 23 years, 4 children ages 20, 17, 15, and 13, 2 boys and 2 girls.  My wife is awesome having completed 6 marathons and being a huge blessing to many other women who never thought they could do it.  She is responsible for over 17 marathons from people who never ran competitively before.  Stay away from her....you'll find yourself running 26.2!!

CURRENT TRAINING:  I just finished my 8th week of Tri-Training.  This was a recovery week for me and I felt great.  Today's workout was 15 minutes of swim, 123 minutes of bike, and 10 minutes of run.  I also did a few sets of full squats later in the day.  I'm following idiots guide for Triathlon Training.  Okay, I'm stupid....I'm following the training program for the ironman, but I'm only going to race the Olympic.  I looked at the time requirements and decided I could pull it off.  I'll need to do some adjusting toward the end to tailor my program to the Olympic distance. 

LAST YEARS RACES:  None.  I pulled my hamstring in the spring playing 40's and over division 3 men's soccer.  I didn't do anything over the summer in the hopes that it would heal.  It didn't.  Over the late fall and early winter, I started doing Yoga and some running. The yoga, stretching, and deep tissue massage seems to have 'healed' my ham. 

2010 RACES:  The only race I have on my calender is the Portage Lakes Triathlon, Olympic distance on Sept. 19th, the day after my 43rd birthday. I started training early and am off to a great start.  I may consider other races along the way but only if it complements my training for the PLT in Sept. 

WEIGHT LOSS:  I lost at least 14 lbs of fat and gained about 3 lbs of muscle in the last 8 weeks and am at 160 lbs.  I am 5' 7" and could lose another 5 lbs of fat around my belly.  I'm not sure about body fat percentages.  I just know I lost alotta lard and my legs have exploded with new muscle.'

GOALS:  Of course I enjoy competing and hope to do well.  Along the way, I'd like to make some friends, compete out of state, and overall have a richer life through my experiences and friendships.  I'd like to bring home some hardware too .  As a given, I hope to live healthy and not have too much concern about the cardiovascular disease that has been prevalent in my family (poor diet, stressful living, unhealthy relationships, and too much shlivavitz). 

Looking forward to a fun and blessed year,

Dan

Welcome aboard!! I have to tell you, we middle aged guys rock! Congrats on your marathon. I look forward to answering any and all questions. If you are not logging your training somewhere, I would suggest using the training log right here on BT because it is really good, plus I will be able to check in on you daily.

So, the swim is a slight concern for you Let me know about your swim background, and what you have done so far in training. I am not a fast swimmer, but I am very comfortable and confident in the water, and I am sure you can become a confident swimmer too.

Anthony

Hey Anthony,

Do you have any spots left? I'm looking to join.

Thanks,

Jason

Welcome aboard to you as well!!



Another marathoner. Cool! Congrats to you, too. Very interesting that you said "inconsistency and lack of restraint"; one of my little mottoes about training is "patience and consistency". Being a high school swimmer will be really good for you. The swim is usually the hardest thing for new triathletes.



4 kids!! Very nice! I'm a little jealous because I sometimes think my wife and I should have had a fourth. That is really nice that your wife has helped so many people complete marathons. She should be very proud.







Glad to hear your hammy is better. I've heard that deep tissue massage is good stuff, but I've never tried it. 



Well done with the weight loss, and if you figure out how to lose that 5 lbs around the belly, please let me know You will definitely make some new friends because triathletes are generally very friendly. I had to google shlivavitz, and now I want to try some because it sounds pretty good.



Me too!

Anthony



Edited by amschrod 2010-04-17 10:37 PM

Absolutely! I am very happy to have you join.

I checked your log, and you are off to a great start! Training is a very good stress reliever; I know it works for me

Anthony

Hello everyone!! Anyone do any training today? I had a very nice ride this morning. About 33 miles so not too long, but with a couple of good climbs. Some headwind on one of the big climbs, which made it interesting. My first race this year is a du that is very hilly, so I am trying to ride hills as much as possible.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.

Anthony

Today was 60 minutes of running.  43 degrees......not the best weather to hit the road in but what do you expect....it's Northeast Ohio!! Because of the marathon training I did in the past, I've been in the habit of running my Sunday miles LSD...long slow deliberate.  I felt pretty good and finished 6.77 miles in 1 hour, 8:58 pace overall.   It's nice to be able to borrow the wife's garmin .  It seems that Tri training has given me an overall boost in my running.  Granted I'm not up to running 16 miles in this program yet, but I feel light on my feet.  I used to somewhat dread Sundays.  I started using the training log yesterday.  What a cool tool.  I am also going to start keeping track of what I eat so I can log my protein, carbs, fat, and calories for the day.  I've never done it before and it'll be interesting to see where I'm at.  Talk to you tomorrow!

Dan

i was wondering if you had any more spots left open for your group. My name is James 21, married, with a 13 month old son. I am in the military and have limited time for certain training. the one thing i do alot of is run.

so far this year i have competed in my first 5k ever, and placed 2nd in my AG, 24:45. its a pretty slow time, but im just not that fast of a runner. my first tri that i completed was the WAC tri on Apr 11. the swim was a 300 meters, finished in 7:03. the bike was 11.5 (no hills), finished in 39:45. and the 5k, finished in 28:31, like i said, no very strong in the run. i am wanting to do atleast 1 tri a month until the end of this year, and next year enter into my first olympic tri, then the next do a 1?@ im, then the next do a full.

the reason i need a mentor is to help me with better training management. i have set schedules, 1 week will be the same, and the next week will be very different. i have access to an indoor pool, but im only able to go there every other week. i have a bike group that i have started riding with, and i ride whenever i get a chance, and run about 2 or 3 times a week.

i would like to loose about 20-30 lbs. i think this will help me in my running, but im stuck at around 200, even with the training i have been doing.

Hi Anthony and group,

I am hoping your group isn't full.

I am 46 yrs old and have signed up for my first sprint race June 27th.  I have been training and would like to stay with a group while I continue to train. I am married with 2 children ( 12yr boy and 9yr girl) My wife is supportive, but like yours doesn't understand the mind set.

I was in a group during the winter session and it was informative as well as fun.  I need to increase my swimming and running distances and speed.

Thanks and I hope you're not full

Scott

Good run! I also find that the cross training I get from tris helps my run even though I run a little less.



The training log here is excellent. You currently have your log set to private so I can't see it. If you would like to keep it private, you can set it to allow only "friends" to see it, and then add me and the rest of the group to your friends list.

Anthony

Glad to have you!! 13 months is a great age, and just so you know, it's a little easier than 13 years



24:45 is very good for your first 5K; not slow at all.



Congratulations Triathlete!! That was a very solid first tri!!



Changing schedules can be hard to deal with since consistency is important. Do you have a trainer for your bike? They can come in handy  especially when you have to fit in a ride at odd hours, or when you have a little one.



What sort of changes have you made to your diet? For me, eliminating processed foods made a huge difference.

Anthony

No, not full yet, so welcome aboard!



Looks like a good race. I have always heard that Tri Columbia puts on good events. Our mind set can be hard for other people to understand. I have tried to explain to my wife, but I've had as much luck as I have explaining to her why I love the Mets, but DO NOT like the Yankees even though I am from New York



I see you are logging your workouts, so that will help with improving your run and swim. Let us know more about your swimming. Have you had any coaching?

Anthony

Hi Anthony.  Looks like a group with several "middle aged" guys.  I was in a mentor group from January and looking for another one to continue sharing with through the season.  I will add more later but I am a 46 yr old looking to complete my first sprint tri in two weeks.  Then another two weeks after that.  There are two others I plan to compete in this summer with an oly in September.  I swam in high school so the swimming is the least of my concern.  The speed on the bike is where I need the most improvment.

Look forward to the sharing of tips and tricks from the group.

Good to have you! Like I said, "middle aged" guys rock!! Just 2 weeks until your first tri. I am psyched!! That's good that you are a swimmer because that can be the hardest for new triathletes. Luckily, the bike is the easiest to improve on quickly, because you can add more volume quicker. For running you have to build volume slowly and carefully, but not so much on the bike.



Me too, and I especially hope you will share some good swimming tips

Anthony

Hey everyone, looks like our little group is getting off to a nice start. You all are really getting me psyched for training and the upcoming racing season. I can't wait for my first race!

You have also given me plenty to think about and discuss. Today is my day off from both work and training, so naturally it is my busiest day of the week I will check back later today, and share a few thoughts with the group.

Make sure you log your training, because I will check your logs daily.

STORY:  My name is Calvin and I live in Georgia.  Last year my wife and I decided to start running.  I had not ran much since I got out of the Army 15 years ago.  We ran together a few days a week.  I convinced her to enter a 5K race with me.  She agreed and we both finished.  It was at Callaway Gardens and there was another event going on at the same time as our race.  As my wife and I looked around at these highly fit bodies I realized these were all triathletes.  I called them "freaks" but then told my wife: I want to be a freak like them!  And so began my journey of completing a triathlon.  We did two more 5Ks last summer and in December I made the decision to train and finish a tri this year.  I have signed up for two sprints and plan on two more sprints with an oly in September.  That will be the oly at Callaway Gardens, one year from when I got the fever to do this.

FAMILY STATUS: Married 4 years, 3 boys/young men ages 20, 18, and 15.  My wife runs with me some as she is starting back over on the couch to 5K program.  She is very supportive of my training but doesn't have the competitive drive to race as much as just running for the fitness benefits.

CURRENT TRAINING:  I began training in January with mostly swimming.  In March I purchased a tri bike and am still learning how to "ride" this bike.  Much different than the bikes I rode when I was 10.  With limited time I squeeze as much as I can in.  My son is very involved in soccer and that takes 2-3 evenings a week to attend games.  Fortuantely, the season ends this week but then playoffs begin.  

LAST YEARS RACES:  Only three 5Ks.  This will be the first year of triathlons.

2010 RACES:  May 2 - Tri2Remember Series Collins Hill Super Sprint;  May 15 - Turtle Crawl Sprint;  Jun 13 - West Point Lake Sprint;  Jun 20 - Callaway Gardens Sprint,  Sept 5 - Callaway Gardens Olympic Tri.  There are two other sprints that I may try in July and August.

WEIGHT LOSS:  Currently at 184, was over 192 last fall.  Would like to get under 180.  I am 5'11" so weight is not a big concern of mine.  I know I don't eat the best but not sure I have the desire to change that right now.

GOALS:  Finish Collin Hill (my first tri) in the middle of the pack of my age group.  For the Turtle Crawl I want to reach the goals I set last December:  600 m swim in 10 mins, T1 in 2 mins, 12 mile bike in 40 mins, T2 in 1 min and 5K in 27 mins. 
Total time, 1:20.  After that I will probably have to revaluate my goals for the next events.   

This summer is sure to be full of challenges and I am excited to get started!

Edited by triton63 2010-04-19 1:03 PM

Hi Bill, Jason, James, Scott, and Calvin!  Welcome and good training!!!! 

Dan

Edited by DannyK 2010-04-19 3:58 PM

Hey Stu, we still have room, so welcome!

An off road du sounds like a blast! I would really love to try mountain biking, but if any of you can help me convince my wife that I need a 4th bike, please let me know. What sort of running injuries have you had?

Please don't be embarrassed; not only do middle aged men rock, but so do clydes and athenas!

That was taken at Citi Field at a game honoring the 40th anniversary of the '69 Mets, and those cool t-shirts were the promotional giveaway.

Anthony

I have mentioned the training log a couple of times because I think it is one of the best features on BT. I checked everyone's log and it is good to see that some of you are using it. If you click the log button at the bottom of my post it will take you to my log so you can get an idea of what it's like.

If you have a Garmin, you can download the Garmin communicator plug in and upload your data directly to your log including not only distance and time, but also lap and heart rate data if you use those. You can also save your routes so if you do the same route more than once you can track your progress.

You can also import one of the BT training plans or your own training plan. I haven't really used this feature much, but I know a lot of people do use it.

I have added you all to my "friends" list to make it easy to get to your logs, and once the group is set I will try to make a little box with links to everybody and to this thread that we can put in our logs to make it easier to get around.

If you need any help using the log, please ask.

Anthony

Hi Stu:

Welcome!  Don't be embarrassed...we live in America, the most unhealthy country in the world!  You should be proud....you're doing more than 98% of your peers!  Best wishes on your training.

Dan

Hey Group!

Thanks for the invite.  I didn't get in my training this afternoon, but I am looking forward to the pool tomorrow am. 

Anthony, I am originally from the Albany-Saratoga area.  I saw you did the Lake George Tri...I bet that was a cold swim.  If you are able to convince your wife into letting you get a 4th bike I will let you talk to my wife, in hopes of a Tri bike...LOL.

Good morning group.  How is everyone today? Good training day for me. 6 mile run early this morning before everyone got up, and then a short swim before heading to work. I haven't swum much lately because my Y pool was closed for a couple of weeks, so it's good to get back at it.

So, as I was swimming along, I was thinking about all of you and how your simming is going. Swimming can be the toughest thing for new triathletes if you don't have a swimming background. Technique is so important, and it can get a little complicated at times. To keep it simple for me, the 2 things I focus most on are body position, and having a good reach and glide. My hips tend to sink, which is a common problem, so I try keep my head straight and look down at the bottom of the pool, and sort of press my chest into the water. For the reach some people describe it as trying to grab something from a high shelf which works for me. When it is working right you can really feel an  almost effortless glide through the water.

Calvin/triton63, since you were a high school swimmer, I would like to hear your thoughts on swimming. I was on a swim team from when I was 7 until about 14, but that was back in the '60's so that's not real applicable.

Time to work, so have a good day everyone!

Anthony