Tri Mommy Tri Beginner Mentor Group - OPEN

Hi Virginia,

I am a full time mom of a 2 year old boy and 5 year old daughter who has a small home business!

I would love to be part of your mentor group. 

Thanks,

Fiona(Parker Bim)

Hi Virginia,

In December 2011 I walked the Barbados marathon finishing 6h12mins. We relocated here from Ireland so still find it hard going in the heat !

At that time I was taking swim lessons in a bid to over come my fear of water.  As I got better at swimming I wanted a reason to keep up the lessons so was looking for a swim event. That is when I seen a flyer on the swim board for the Barbados triathlon.

In September last year I ordered a bike and took part in my first sprint tri in October. I struggled in the swim. The splashing, lots of people, sheer panic but I completed it. The bike went well,slow but only had the bike 4 weeks before so went well considering. The 5k run did not happen I walked the run. I finished in 1h50mins. 

My aim for this year is to take part in another sprint  tri in Tobago on June 22nd then to do an Olympic tri in Barbados in Oct. My biggest challenge is the run part. I am large breasted and find running uncomfortable. I  am a  fast walker so know I can walk faster than a slow run. So mentally I just think I could go faster walking than a slow run. I really would like to know how I should be training. I swim a lot as I really enjoy it but never run despite it being my weakest event.

Like every other mother out there time is precious. I have a small cake business that I operate from home. I love that my kids see me training, they love coming to the finish of a race. My husband is great and very supportive. 

At the moment I just trying to work out a plan for the new year. I have not really done any training for the last few weeks. The kids go back to school on Tuesday the 8th so hoping to start back training then. I would love to do the next Sprint in June in under 1.35

Here is what I am thinking !!! 

I have downloaded the couch to 5K run  app, so was going to do that program( 8  weeks) Mon/Wed/Fri. Swim Tues/Thurs. At the moment I bike 20k on Sunday with a group.

All help  and advice most welcome 

Hey, Virginia.  I'd love to be part of your group.  I'm a brand new parent myself and it's been crazy trying to maintain anything with just one newborn.  I need some parental tri guidance!  

As for my tri story, here's where I was...

I did my first triathlon in May of 2007.  It was a local mini sprint called Soak up the Sun in Madison, MS.  It pretty much got me hooked and led me all the way up to the New Olreans 70.3 in 2009.  I did a number of half marathons, local sprints, etc. along the way as well.  I actually ended up being the race director for the Soak up the Sun for the last three years.  Full circle I guess.  I've built a bike from the ground up, coached swimmers, swam almost 250,000 yards in 2008, and even led a mentor group myself on BT in 2009.

As for my tri story now...

Not much of one actually.  I did zero tris in 2012.  The last one I did was a local sprint in July of 2011.  My weight has crept back up (175 vs just under 160), but it's more the way I just feel overall that has me wanting to get back into it.  I've changed my diet up a lot, too.  That's not to say that I'm dieting, just that I'm transitioning into a "mostly vegan" way of eating.  I guess I just want to be healthy and a good example for my kid, and it will help to see someone who has and is doing it.

As for my other pertinent details...

Age: 31

Married to Jenny since 11/15/08

Dad to Luke since 6/21/12

8-5ish job with a holding company for a bank

Live in Brandon, MS which is close to the Natchez Trace and the Ross Barnett Reservoir.  This means I have super easy access to awesome biking and open water swimming, but I've been a lazy bum and haven't taken advantage of it the past two years.

Soooooo, I have had this crazy idea in my head off and on since before my first child. I wanna try a tri. Not sure why since, admittedly, I have never had a swim lesson, haven't had a bike since high school, and really am not much of a runner. That being said, I have been an athlete all my life until my first baby, about 4 1/2 years ago. I was a gymnast when I was little & a soccer and field hockey player since middle school into adulthood. I have dabbled in other sports and fitness trends along the way. I initially stopped playing soccer while I was pregnant for safety reasons - even though we were a "rec" co-ed league, I don't have the tendency to back down in the moment, and neither did my opponents. Of course, there was the obvious reality that I would return the next season without delay....

Enter life: full time work, husband's long and unpredictable work hours, new baby, Big Move overseas, another baby, my own part-time practice. Here I am over 4 years later without having returned to anything really, but still with this lingering idea floating around my head. So, I started researching in earnest and came upon this wonderful site! I finally committed to creating an account (baby steps!) in hopes of finding a mentor group and lo-and-behold... Tri Mommy Tri was just sitting right there, still open, with others in it with similar circumstances. Not to mention the name being similar to mine! Thought I was clever there! ;)

So here's a rundown of me: I'm 32.  I have lived in Kenya for 2 1/2 years, and am moving back to VA in July. Hopefully the benefit of training at altitude (think Denver) will last until my first race in the States! The weather is warm enough year round, but we have rainy seasons. Security is an issue, so my bikes will likely have to be indoors for now. Also, getting a decent bike will be tough out here. I do have access to a free gym and nice *heated pool though. My love is of all things body and exercise related: I have a BS in Health, Physical Education, & Exercise Science; & Doctorate in Physical Therapy. I am running my own part time practice out of my home. I have a funny back that can act up with running, so I know I have to start slow, which is tough for me. Yes, I'm that awful "if we're doing it, do it full out" kind of person. And yes, I know I theoretically should know better, but practically I still have that old athlete's mentality. Best for last, I have 2 clever, active, beautiful kids: 3 1/2 y/o daughter, 1 1/2 y/o son. I want them to see me practice what I preach, and really instill in them the benefits and values that come along with leading a healthy, athletic lifestyle. I have a wonderful husband who is all about running, happy and supportive of me getting motivated about something, yet perhaps a bit skeptical based on my past fitness fizzles.

I know support is a huge factor in success, and I hope you and everyone else in this forum can help me along the way. I hope to return the favor in any way I can! Your story is inspiring, realistic, and I love you shared about your jiggles. I have plenty to work off and it's good to know I can be real in here!

Goals: 1) sprint tri in the fall 2) 10% body fat loss this year

Go Us!

Natalie

Congratulations on taking on a huge challenge. As I was reading, I was going to recommend the C25K program, so I am glad you have picked that up. It sounds like you have a good plan for beginning. As you build your running base, you'll be able to add to that base. For now, I would keep that schedule and just slowly add distance. You will need to add more time on the bike in, but you have plenty of time. Congratulations!

WOW! Sounds like you should be a mentor yourself, even though it has been a year. You have a ton of valuable experience that I would love to hear about. Congratulations on the new baby, as well. What a great "first" to get to be experiencing. What races do you have planned this year? 

I have lots of experience in the vegetarian/vegan diet stuff. My third child had severe food allergies, and we had to eat vegan for years. I am not a vegetarian anymore, but I was for 12 years. I had to add back fish this year for a variety of reasons, but I don't eat other meets. Let me suggest the veg web website if you haven't found it already (http://www.vegweb.com). There are tons of good vegan recipes there. I  had the same experience with weight "creeping up," and I stared using My Fitness Pal about a year ago to just track my food. It has helped a TON!

Good luck with getting back to it. What are your goals this year?

It sounds like you have a great plan and a solid base to begin. Biking will obviously be your focus, and that is the most time consuming part (unfortunately). Do you have a bike? Are you using a training plan at all? I don't necessarily think you have to, especially for a sprint, but what do you plan to do as far as your training for your first sprint? Also, don't worry, it isn't more than "you can chew." If you can run a 10K, you can do this! 

AWESOME! AWESOME! AWESOME! What a cool life you have. You can certainly do this! Virginia is a great triathlon state...so there should be lots of options for you. 

I am totally with you about the kids seeing you do this. My 2 1/2 year old sees me as an athlete because it is all that he has in his recent memory. Every day that I come in looking sweaty and gross he says, "did you have a good race, Mommy?" I LOVE that. My other kids can remember the "inactive" mom, but I hope to replace those memories.

Are you using a training plan? Sounds like you have tons of resources, which is amazing. If you are not a big swimmer, I would start with that, since you don't have a bike at the moment. You need to build that base. Indoor cycling will work for now, but you will have to find a bike and get outdoors soon. Hopefully when you move back to the states that will be easier. Do you have spin classes at your gym? Those are another great tool. 

Great to "meet" you!

I would be interested in joining your  mentor group. I'm a total newbie... Still a little surreal to me that I'm doing this. Just began my journey. The beginning of November I started working out with a personal trainer for general health, fitness, and weight loss. Signed up on New Years Eve for a sprint triathlon... with a nonrefundable fee... so no backing out!!! The race is not until August so I have lots of time.

I live in Northern NY so outside training is not a good option for me in the winter months. I plan on getting a trainer so I can ride my bike inside. I meet with my personal trainer 3 times a week to work on strength and cardio... I have a ways to go, but I'm sooo improved from where I was 2 months ago. Talked to him yesterday... he says I can do this!

I'm not sure what I've got myself into, but I'll be completing my first sprint triathlon just one month after my 51st birthday... Can you help me?

Ruth

There is a local "olympic" (for some reason the swim is only half a mile) called the Heatwave Classic in June that I'd like to do again.  I did it in 2007 (my first year) and 2008.  And I actually forgot that I did the swim leg in the mixed relay division this past year.  Various little injuries always seemed to pop up, keeping me from doing it.  I had major knee surgery in 2005, and the last two years I've had some leg pain really flare up from it, which has really, really hampered my running.  Then with new baby stuff, the early mornings got eaten up, so my swim and bike have faded as well.  I guess my main goal is to finally make that transition from single guy with the freedom to train whenever I felt like it to being a new Dad and finding the time to lead a healthy active lifestyle as a good example.

As for the diet... You can't really call me vegan, since I don't strictly adhere to it all the time.  I'd say 75%-90% of my eating during the week is vegan, though.  I've actually had a few 100% vegan weeks.  I live way to close to Emerald Coast, the MS Coast and New Orleans to give up gulf seafood entirely.  I would eat nothing but oysters if I could.  There are a few reasons I decided to alter the way I eat. though.  Yes, I've seen Forks over Knives, and it made me curious, but didn't make me some militant vegan soldier.  I did buy their cookbook and one of the Happy Herbivore cookbooks, too.  I had already stopped eating chicken (I'll explain to anyone who really wants to know).  I've really just cut back a ton on how much dairy and beef I consume.  Partly because of the way the industry works, mainly because of the fat.  Funny thing is, after a lifetime of being a serious beef snob, I don't really miss it at all.  Ground beef actually tastes bad to me now.  I also really love to cook, and preparing vegan dishes has actually helped me expand my kitchen repertoire (although I have sacrificed the tip of my index finger).  

I feel very qualified to discuss anything that has to do with kids since I have four, and I feel your pain about early mornings. It may be some time before you get those back!! I wasn't able to start the 5 am regiment again until my kids were around 1. I think it is much harder to fit everything in at night because you are so tired from work. I usually work out twice a day, but my evenings are only one thing. I am very aware of the meat industry and their ills.....it's ONE reason why I don't eat beef, pork, or chicken. I actually stopped eating beef and pork at age 8 because I hate the taste, but I was on chicken until around 18. Sounds like the Olympic will be a breeze for you, due to your past experience. I bet that there will be frustrations over old TIMES (since you don't have as much time to train), but your body could probably do it in your sleep!

Welcome! I think you have done a great thing by signing up. That is certainly always my strategy. If I put money down, I'll follow through...too cheap and all! I am trying to figure out which Ironman distance race I want to do in 2014 so that I can do the same thing. If I am going to make that commitment, I need to put money into it!

Yes, you can certainly do a sprint. Your trainer will be a great resource. Hopefully he has experience in training endurance athletes. I worked with a trainer for a bit who was a "bulk" guy, not a long lean muscle guy. I had an injury as a result. When I spoke to my running coach about it (he coaches my marathon group), he said it was because the trainer I was using was not focusing on endurance athletes. SO...I had to make a chance. I find that pilates helps with "strength training" for endurance athletes. Just a thought. Are you swimming right now? Do you have access to a pool? It does sound like outside riding is out of the question, but a good trainer is harder anyway! Plus, with the summer, you'll have time! 

Again, welcome!

Hi Dayra,

First, sorry about your divorce and the other "life getting in the way" stuff, but it sounds like you are back on track now. From your years of photographing tris, you probably have some cool perspective that the rest of us do not have. You've made a great decision & it sounds like you are making all of the right steps. It's great to work with a swim instructor. I don't think most people realize just how HARD the swim part is at first. BUT...it is the part where you will see quick gains. I also bet that you will find the pace of C25K too slow this rime around. If you have running experience, you will probably end up skipping a few weeks and zipping forward. It is a great tool though. Anyway, WELCOME!

I don't have a bike but am going to use my husbands to begin with, he has a mountain bike but with road tyres.  My plan is to ride the gym bikes for a couple of weeks so my legs get used to pedaling, then head somewhere quiet and try riding on the road.  My husband has offered to put some stabilisers on the bike...

A friend bought me Joe Friel's Your First Triathlon book for Christmas so I have been busy reading this and working through the training plans as well as looking at some online.  Using these I've worked out a rough plan for next month with a mix of swim, bike and run - not forgetting rest days and strength training.  I probably should drop a few of the swims for bike/run but its the one I enjoy most so will leave in for now but may reduce depending on how things go.  

Welcome! It sounds like you have many of the same struggles as many people here. An Olympic is certainly reasonable though, with the time, methods, and history that you have. I would suggest, as I did with another post, the www.vegweb.com website since you eat vegan. There are some good & low fat recipes there. You will need plenty of carbs and protein with your increased training, so just be healthy!!! Again, welcome to the group.

My trainer is also my nephew... I think he's pretty all around fitness oriented, not just a bulky body building type. He's pretty new to training "professionally", but he is very enthusiastic about fitness... I'm really amazed at how far I've come in the last 2 months. Not so much in weight loss, since I've gained 2 pounds, but I've also lost 1 1/2 inches around my middle. And just the fact that I can do things that I had no concept of when I started. I have a ways to go, but in November I don't think I would have signed up for a race!

I have not been in the pool. The swimming is the scariest part for me. They have a pool at the Y, but I don't know what programs are available. I still have to look into that. And of course there will be scheduling issues!

Thanks for the welcome!

Ruth

Hi MM, My only goal is to finish... I would prefer not to be last, but I'm really only competing with myself, so if I finish... I win!! First or last doesn't matter.

Nice to meet you.

Ruth

Thanks Virginia!  I was looking at the free training plans on BT.  I thought the 20 week 2x balanced plan looked okay.  However, I was also looking at the options for membership to look at more and be able to log...maybe silver??  I have a friend giving me a beginner's tri book, too.  Do you have any suggestions or advice, especially regarding training plans?

Also, I was thinking of getting a lesson or 2 for my swim form.  I love the water and can "swim" well enough, but have never learned proper stroke technique.  I guess that's where my PT'ness comes in!  Picky about form!  But...GOOD NEWS... the hubs wants to train, too!  He said he could teach me, but he's never had a formal lesson either. Hence my hesitation!  Advice?

Finally, the free gym is more like a fitness area.  Weights, equipment, machines.  Upright bikes included.  Do you think I could get by on one?  I think there is a gym with spinning, but it involves membership.  I might be able to order a bike online, maybe a trainer, too.  Again...agghh!  What do you think?  Thanks again for all your help!

just some anecdotal thoughts on swimming...

I've actually had a sub 3:30 marathoner tell me he just didn't think he'd ever have the fitness to swim a mile.  After I got done laughing, I just laid it out bluntly and said, "Don't take this personally, but your form may be the worst I've ever seen, but when we fix it, a mile will be a short swim workout for you."  Most people don't realize how form and technique driven that swimming is.  Running and biking are easy to jump into because, even though technique and form play a role, everybody knows how to run and ride and bike.  Not everybody knows how to swim RIGHT.  Once you do learn... look out!  It just seems soooo much easier.  Suddenly, you're not going to the pool and struggling to swim 50 yards at once.  You're doing 8x100s, 5x200s, 400 yard warmups, etc.  And it really is suddenly.  A million light bulbs go off when you find that balance and basic swim technique.  When you start feeling yourself gliding, and controlling the water instead of fighting it and having it push back against you... it's an awesome feeling.  I still love how it feels to dive in at the beginning of a swim and feel that water slide past.

So... I cannot recommend lessons enough.  Real swim lessons with someone who is a swimmer.  Not the kind that teach you how to float on your back and not drown.  Well, unless you need those first.  I did spend an hour lesson coaching a girl off the ladder once.  (She finished the triathlon by the way!).  Now swim lessons aren't always an option for people.  If this is your case, you may want to try out Total Immersion.  Hang around enough tri people and TI is sure to come up, much to the joy of some and chagrin of others.  It is a GREAT program to teach beginners how to swim with basic efficiency and form.  It will make you smooth and help you enjoy the pool workouts.  I'm not a huge fan of it myself, but it has helped tons of people, and my reasons for not liking it aren't relevant to a beginner who needs access to something that can help them swim better.