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We Don't Just Tri - We Do Group - Closed
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 2013-01-01 8:09 PM |
Veteran  260   Monument, Colorado |  Subject: We Don't Just Tri - We Do Group - ClosedWHEN CAN YOU START MENTORING CONSISTENTLY: Now GROUP FOCUS: Newbies - all distances. NAME: sundevil87 - but please call me Thom STORY: I am a 47 year old, active duty Army Colonel currently stationed in the thin air of Colorado Springs, Colorado - assigned to NORAD / US Northern Command. I have been involved in the sport of triathlon since 2008 while stationed in Germany. I got my start with Beginner Triathlon using Mike Ricci's training plans and the mentor program. I have completed triathlons at all distances from Sprint to Ironman (IM Arizona) - progressing in an orderly approach as recommended by the pros: sprint/oly my first year; oly/HIM my second; and finally HIM/IM my fourth (I was sent to the Middle East during the third year which put me behind schedule). I began my endurance sport journey many years ago when I first set my sights on completing a 1/2 marathon. I then moved to Marathon and then set a goal to complete an Ironman. I completed all of these goals. In addition to doing triathlons, I also do run endurance events. Last year I completed the Pikes Peak Ascent - which is a 1/2 marathon up the face of Pikes Peak - an elevation change of over 7,000 feet - from 7000' elevation to 14,115'. I also competed in the Ragnar Colorado - a 187 mile relay race from Breckenridge, Colorado to Snow Mass, Colorado. I am a MOP triathlete - but hope to podium at some point - no matter how long it takes. Maybe by attrition as I plan on competing in the sport as long as I am drawing a breath. FAMILY STATUS: Married with 5 children - two are grown and three still at home 18, 9, and 7. CURRENT TRAINING: I train technically with HRM, cadence (bike and run), and power. I primarily use Training Peak, but also like to post workouts to Map My Ride. 2012 RACES: I focused mostly on running events in 2012, competing in the Ragnar and Pikes Peak Ascent mentioned above and also did the Colorado Springs Triple Crown of Running Series. I had planned to do IM Cors D'Alene but work and travel prevented me from being prepared. 2013 RACES: I have an relatively ambitious race program this year. February - Ragnar Del Sol - Arizona April - HITS Napa Full Distance Triathlon (Iron distance) June/July/August - Boulder Triathlon Series (Sprint, Oly, and HIM) August - Pikes Peak Ascent September - Ragnar Colorado WEIGHTLOSS: I don't have any weight loss goals for my tri training other than to get to a new race weight which is about 5-10 pounds less than what I currently weigh. However, in 2010 I lost over 30 pounds competing in triathlon and making life style changes. . WHAT WILL MAKE ME A GOOD MENTOR: If you are brand new to the sport, or relatively new, I have been where you are and believe I can help to motivate you to get across the finish line - while sharing my experiences picked up along the way. I found that using a mentor when I first started was invaluable and I believe I can provide a similar service to you. I currently self-coach and did so for my early triathlons. I did use a coach for my first Ironman (from D3) - and frankly, would recommend that if you are attempting to complete your first Ironman that you seriously consider obtaining a coach. I am by no means an expert - nor a coach - but I have learned a thing or two along the way. I regularly find myself providing training advice to my co-workers and my Ragnar teammates. I can do the same for you. If nothing else - I have completed every goal that I set for myself - and I have done so injury free. I think I can help you do the same. Edited by sundevil87 2013-02-05 10:00 PM |
| 2013-01-17 12:46 PM in reply to: #4556995 |
Veteran 260 Monument, Colorado | Subject: RE: We Don't Just Tri - We Do Group - Open Shameless bump - we've gone live. If you're a late comer to the mentor forums and looking for a mentor you've found the place.  |
| 2013-01-18 8:52 PM in reply to: #4556995 |
| Member 20 Spring, Texas | Subject: RE: We Don't Just Tri - We Do Group - Open Well Hello, My name is Jason. I am very new the sport of triathlon. I started running a few years ago in new mexico just for something to stay active with. I have run a few 5ks and 1 10k, then work transfered me to Thanks. |
| 2013-01-19 10:27 AM in reply to: #4585523 |
Veteran 260 Monument, Colorado | Subject: RE: We Don't Just Tri - We Do Group - Open Hi Jason - welcome to the group. We are currently a group of two with hopefully more to come. You've taken the most important first step into triathlon - you've picked a race and signed up - in other words you've committed! That can sometimes be the hardest part. The Denver Sprint sounds like a perfect race to start with. It is close to the Springs, it is a good course without any craziness in terms of climbs etc. We have had family friends do the Denver as their first tris and have heard good things. Since you live in the Springs you will not have altitude issues - so that is all good as well. I completely understand you when you talk crazy in the house. While I can only imagine what it is like with 3 toddlers - we have 5 in our family (kids - not toddlers) ranging in age from 7, 9, 18 and then two who have set out on their own (22 year olds). On top of that - we have three dogs in the house (golden, hungarian vizsla and wired hair vizsla). Needless to say, it is crazy at all times. There is plenty of time to prepare for Denver. The task for those of us with busy lives is to schedule work in the four disciplines of triathlon - swim, bike, run and transition. Throw in strength training and yoga for a good round out. Your run experience shows that you can easily handle that part. How much experience do you have with cycling and swimming. You mention you are doing pool work, but don't mention cycling. Have you spent much time learning about the sport of triathlon? Besides the wealth of information on BT - I can point you to a couple of other sites and resources (besides our awesome group of course) that you can tap into to help you figure this all out. Let me throw a few questions at you to help set the stage: - How have you structured your workouts? Are working off a plan and if so, what does it look like. If not - we can talk about that as well. - How much experience do you have in the three sports? - Are you logging workouts in BT? I will share my logs with you so you can get a sense of what I do. I will also share my Training Peaks information with you (and others that join). TP is my primary tool for planning and tracking workouts - but I do cross upload into BT and into MapMyRide to share with other friends that don't use TP. You will see from the sometimes erratic activity - that I am a working stiff like most of us and my workouts sometimes can be inconsistent. - What are your burning questions about the sport of triathlon? And, since you are in the Springs, I'd be glad to meet and talk the sport or do a workout. Thom |
| 2013-01-19 11:43 AM in reply to: #4585934 |
| Member 20 Spring, Texas | Subject: RE: We Don't Just Tri - We Do Group - Open Thom, i dont know if i have structured workouts or not. I have been in the pool every monday, wednesday and friday and sometimes on saturday. I am very new to swimming and am just trying to be in the water and attempting to swim. I am looking at getting a few swim lessons set up. so i am sure they will give me some drills to practice while i am in the pool. Other then that i have been working with a personal trainer for the last few months and he has been giving me some good excersises to do in the gym. My wife and i just bought mountain bikes before we moved up here. they are not hardcore mountain bikes they are pretty mild. I dont know if i would want to use that or if i want to find a chaper road bike i could buy? Any tips on that would be great! So i guess i am needing to start setting out a detailed plan and keep better track of everything i am doing as a plan. I have spent time running so i am pretty comfortable with that. Biking like i have said we bought mtn. bikes just before moving out here so i have not done much cycling. Swimming i am very green. that is where i am trying to focus on right now. I have not been logging my workouts in anything right now. As i am typing this i am feeling more and more unprepared. I will probably feel more comfortable when i get a training schedule more dialed in. I don't know if i have any burning question right now. The main thing has been the use of a mtn. bike and also maybe a wet suit? Long sleeve or sleevess? Other then that i dont know right now. thank you for replying so quickly. I look forward to your response. Jason |
| 2013-01-19 12:42 PM in reply to: #4585997 |
Veteran 260 Monument, Colorado | Subject: RE: We Don't Just Tri - We Do Group - Open Jason, Don't fret! You have plenty of time to prepare for the Sprint - I assure you. About triathlon and equipment. This can be a very expensive sport if you let it be. But it doesn't have to be. There a posts abound about what do you need to do triathlon - the list is surprisingly short: running shoes, bike, swim suit, goggles. That is exactly what I had for my first tri which was a Sprint. I swam in an old speedo suit that I had from high school (yes, not a sight I should have subjected the German people to - and the water was wicked cold in a community pool), biked on a department store mountain bike, and ran with basic run shorts and shirt, running shoes and a hat with sunglasses. That's it. I went into the event wanting to enjoy myself and learn about the sport. On the bike I was being easily passed by all the experience folks on their tri-bikes with carbon, aero wheels and the distinctive whoosh, whoosh sound they make. But I had a blast. Smiled the whole time. If you decide that you like the sport and want to move up in the world - then you can invest in some of the other things that make our life easier - road/tri bikes, wet suits, power meters, heart rate monitors, gps, tri specific suits etc., etc., etc. Although, that said, I am not sure of the temperature of the water in Denver in June - that could be a bit chilly. However, you don't have to buy a wet suit, especially if you are not sure you are committed to the sport. There are places that rent wet suits. Long sleeve / short sleeve. I personally use a long sleeve suit. The reason is because I did not want to spend too much money so I wanted a suit that I could use in any situation. What I mean by that is I wanted a suit that I could use in very cold water - long sleeve - and also in warmer (but wet suit legal) water. A sleeveless would have been ok for warmer water, but not necessarily for the coldest temps (for example, the Napa Iron Distance race I am doing in April has avg temps of 54 degrees - I am happy I have a long sleeve suit and will have to most likely buy a cap and perhaps booties). Beyond the temperature question, it becomes a personal preference. The technology is getting better and better for suits that have full sleeves making arm movement less restrictive and more comfortable. Sleeveless suits don't have that problem. Some day I may get a sleeveless, but for now, I make due with my full sleeve. To train for my first sprint I used a plan I got off of BT. I think I signed up for the Silver level and used one of the plans. The options and offerings on BT have really improved since I first started. You can also find free and general guidelines on how to structure a workout plan. It all really depends on what you want to invest. At its most basic level, you have to spend time training all three events and at some point work on learning how to set up a transition site an go through moving from one sport to the next. Strength training is always a good idea. Most important thing you can do for your training - is to not try to too much too soon. That is the best way to injure yourself. A general rule of thumb is to not increase volume, duration, intensity, speed etc. more than 10% / week. Tracking / logging helps you be aware of the metrics - your body will also speak to you. Take a look at the sprint plans on BT - or elsewhere - and see what talks to you. If you find something and have questions just come up on the board and I'll be glad to give you my 2 cents. My public Training Peaks account is www.trainingpeaks.com/sundevil87. You should be able to take a look at that - I've not tried having somebody view it - but I think you should be able to. Take a look if you are interested. TP tracks lots, and lots, of metrics if you have the measurement devices and are interested. You can get a sense of what I plan to do and what I actually accomplish in a typical week. I try to get in at least three runs and bike workouts, two swims (I have not started my swim training yet - I will in the next week - more about why if you are interested), and two strength sessions. Sometimes I can get two workouts a day in - sometimes I miss it completely. It is the reality of being a working triathlete. Thom |
| 2013-01-19 6:00 PM in reply to: #4585523 |
| Member 136 Simsbury, CT | Subject: RE: We Don't Just Tri - We Do Group - Open Hi Thom, I would like to join the group. My name is Armando and I just turned 47. I have been wanting to do triathlons for more the 15 years and finally took the pluge last year by signing up for a local sprint coached class. I ended up with 5 sprints and 1 olympic. I should have gone for a 1/2 IM but as is usually the case, I jumped in with both feet and signed up for IM Texas on May 18, 2013. I have run 2 marathons, some multi-hr adventure races, 2 ragnars and played a bit of soccer. I used to bike quite a bit, both road and mtn. I am not a strong swimmer but I am getting better. 1.5M seems relatively easy now, if not fast. I am married and both of us work full time. We have 3 kids which are active in sports. Shuttling them to their events adds to the stress of finding time to train. I am planning on using Gail Bernthard's 13 Wks to a 13 IM training program. My goal is to finishing without drama, on my two feet. Weight-wise, I lost about 10 lbs as a result of training last year. I am holding steady and do expect to lose another 5 or so by the time I get to TX. Nutrition and packing special needs bags are a big concern. My races last year had a single transition area and were not long enough to really have to worry about a nutrition plan. I use a garmin HR monitor and also got a garmin PowerCal (Cheap version of a powertap). With 14Wks to to taper, I can use all the help I can get. Thanks
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| 2013-01-19 10:07 PM in reply to: #4556995 |
| 13 | Subject: RE: We Don't Just Tri - We Do Group - Open Hi Thom,I would like to join your group. My name is Rob and I live in Denver. For the last 5 years or so I have focused on nothing but cycling. I did a small amount of racing and mostly did long distance stuff like the triple bypass from Evergreen to Avon.This year I decided I want to have a more well rounded fitness level and wanted to break into triathalons. I was thinking of either a sprint or Olympic. I was looking at some of the free training plans on BT to start.Thanks,Rob |
| 2013-01-19 10:12 PM in reply to: #4586307 |
Veteran 260 Monument, Colorado | Subject: RE: We Don't Just Tri - We Do Group - Open Welcome Armando! Glad to have you join us. With your experience I am sure that we can learn from you as much as I am hopeful that you learn from us. IM Texas - you've set a quite the goal for yourself. But like they say - go big, or go home - right. Besides - you could just look at it as you've signed up for two HIMs - just back to back With the endurance events you have done you will have a sense of what it will take to prepare for an IM. Have you already started on a structured training plan? If so, where are you in it? I assume you are self coaching - is that true? I found training for the AZ IM and again last year - that balancing family requirements and training for an IM can be a challenge. If you and your wife/family haven't become acquainted with the term Triathlon Widow - you are certain to become acquainted. If you are a true morning person - and because your event is early in the season - in a "warm" climate, you can get your workouts in early in the morning and avoid taking time from the family. As I have in my blog goals - despite being in the military for most of my adult life - I am not a morning person. Thus I usually did my workouts in the late morning, which took away from the family. But, until you get into your very long rides - I suspect that you won't do much more in terms of time than you probably did for your marathon training and other endurance events. Nutrition is huge. Figuring it out before the race is vital. I know I am stating the obvious. You will have to experiment with different strategies to determine what works for you. There are different philosophies on fueling. I tend to follow the advice / guidance that is published by Hammer Nutrition. I also use there products. I found the Perpetuem product as my principle fuel source for IM. If you are not familiar with these I would recommend you take a look. Compare it to what you might already be using and evaluate their recommendations against others you might come across. A key point that they make is you can't replace what you've lost - your body can only absorb and use so much in an hour. Others believe you should push as much nutrition as your body can tolerate. Training with a HR monitor and with power is a great addition to your preparations. The key to completing the IM is making sure that you exert yourself only at a rate that you can sustain over the course of entire race. Again - a flash of blinding obvious - but more than a handful of competitors go out to hard and fail to finish. Knowing your physical limitations and what you can sustain over the long term is important. Then staying within those limits during the race is essential. You will have to learn what those limits are during the course of your training. So - again welcome aboard. I look forward to hearing about your training plan and your training sessions. If you haven't already thought about it - consider beginning to log your workouts here on BT. Thom |
| 2013-01-20 8:33 PM in reply to: #4556995 |
Member 9 | Subject: RE: We Don't Just Tri - We Do Group - Open Hey Thom- Id love to join your group. I am 31 years old, married, with my first baby due in May. I completed my first and only Sprint distance tri in Oct of 2010. I weighed roughly 360 pounds when i did that race. In August of 2011, i had Gastric bypass. Today, i am down nearly 110 pounds, and have begun back down the path of tri's. I am registered for a sprint on March 10th, and have my eyes on Olympic distances in May and July.... I have a long term goal of IM... right now, it seems well beyond my reach. I am a strong swimmer (i swam in middle and high school), and a decent on the bike... running is my nemesis... The positive vibe i picked up from you already on your posts caused me to pick you as a mentor. I look forward to learning from you |
| 2013-01-20 9:24 PM in reply to: #4586490 |
| Member 136 Simsbury, CT | Subject: RE: We Don't Just Tri - We Do Group - Open HI Thom, Yes, my wife told me to go with a HIM but schedule just did not work. I wanted to do my first with my brother, who lives in TX (He finished IM Arizona in 2011). At this point, it is what it is, the fee is paid, the room reserved and so it is time to get to work. I am self coaching. This week I start Gale Bernhart's 13 weeks to a sub 13 IM plan. I actually have 3 extra weeks but I figured it would best to start now. I probably will not follow the plan to the letter but feel it has the right combination based on the time I can invest. During the week, I try to get the bike or run in the AM. Swimming I do at nights, once or twice a week. On weekends, I also try to get the long workouts out of the way in the morning. While I was training for the marathon, I found that if I got out of the house by 5 or 6 AM, the impact on the family was much reduced. The next three months will be different in that i will have to do long sessions on both Saturday and Sunday. As for tracking my workouts, I used a marathon plan from Active.com which worked great for me. I plan on re-used for the run portion of my training. I used to use Runkeeper which is an Iphone app however, last year my wife got me a 910XT garmin which I love as and have since then logged all my workouts on the Garmin website. I will have to see how easy or hard is to load the data I have into BT or TP. Nutrition - Last year I discovered the hammer products and perpetuem in particular. It worked great for the marathon. Someone receantly recommend the First Endurance products which I will try at some point over the next few weeks.
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| 2013-01-21 9:07 AM in reply to: #4586487 |
Veteran 260 Monument, Colorado | Subject: RE: We Don't Just Tri - We Do Group - Open Hi Rob, Welcome to the group - glad to have you on board! Denver (and Colorado in general) is a great location for triathlons. With Boulder so close and a very active triathlon calendar there is certain to be a race that catches your fancy. If you have not yet found this site - check out http://www.coloradotriathlete.com- their calendar is pretty up to date. Of course there is always Active.com that lists a lot of races as well. You can also check out www.witthoutlimits.co - they have a really good triathlon series with a good offering of sprint and olympic distance races spread nicely through the year in some nice locations. I too started with the free plans from BT. I jumped right to the Silver level though because of the flexibility of manipulating the plan and the training log. Again, welcome to the group. Look forward to sharing our triathlon experiences. Thom |
| 2013-01-21 9:21 AM in reply to: #4587277 |
Veteran 260 Monument, Colorado | Subject: RE: We Don't Just Tri - We Do Group - Open And Ed makes 4. Welcome to the group Ed. Wow - you have already come a long way - congratulations. My own experience with weight loss and triathlon tells me that this can be a great way to lose and managing weight loss. For me, I did not have great weight loss with triathlon alone - but when I dialed in the right diet and eating habits - it was like magic. When I deployed to the Middle East in 2010 I weighed 205. That was very heavy for me and I had gained to that level despite having competed in tris for nearly 3 years at that point - including completing my first HIM. But, I fixed my diet (I stopped drinking and cut out the processed foods) and now I'm at 166 and around 11% body fat. My wife says I'm becoming a manorexic. I just say I'm getting down to race weight - whatever that is If you want to do a IM - then put it on your long-term goal list. As a goal oriented person myself, I found that by putting in on "paper" somewhere and visualizing it, you'll make it. Also, a good progression to the IM distance is spread over a few years - sprint/oly year 1, oly / HIM year two and then tackling the IM in year 3. This is an especially effective progression if you have no experience in endurance events like running marathons or doing century bike rides etc. So that said - you are the right path and in the right place. Looks like you may be the first up among the group members for racing a tri with a March sprint race. Have you settled on a training plan? Let the group know how you plan to approach training and race preparation. If you have any questions - lay 'em on us. We'll all benefit from the discussion. Thom |
| 2013-01-21 10:27 AM in reply to: #4587330 |
Veteran 260 Monument, Colorado | Subject: RE: We Don't Just Tri - We Do Group - Open Armandova - 2013-01-20 8:24 PM HI Thom, Yes, my wife told me to go with a HIM but schedule just did not work. I wanted to do my first with my brother, who lives in TX (He finished IM Arizona in 2011). At this point, it is what it is, the fee is paid, the room reserved and so it is time to get to work. I am self coaching. This week I start Gale Bernhart's 13 weeks to a sub 13 IM plan. I actually have 3 extra weeks but I figured it would best to start now. I probably will not follow the plan to the letter but feel it has the right combination based on the time I can invest. During the week, I try to get the bike or run in the AM. Swimming I do at nights, once or twice a week. On weekends, I also try to get the long workouts out of the way in the morning. While I was training for the marathon, I found that if I got out of the house by 5 or 6 AM, the impact on the family was much reduced. The next three months will be different in that i will have to do long sessions on both Saturday and Sunday. As for tracking my workouts, I used a marathon plan from Active.com which worked great for me. I plan on re-used for the run portion of my training. I used to use Runkeeper which is an Iphone app however, last year my wife got me a 910XT garmin which I love as and have since then logged all my workouts on the Garmin website. I will have to see how easy or hard is to load the data I have into BT or TP. Nutrition - Last year I discovered the hammer products and perpetuem in particular. It worked great for the marathon. Someone receantly recommend the First Endurance products which I will try at some point over the next few weeks.
I was in the race with your brother in AZ. I seriously considered the TX IM this year but decided to go with the HITS race. Committing to an Ironman branded event is a serious outlay of $$. With your endurance background taking on the IM - especially doing it with your brother - you'll do great. I'll keep my fingers crossed for a mildly humid day for you and your fellow competitors in Hermann. I think that one of the things separates us age groupers is that we have lives that we have to fit triathlon around and not the other way around. In all of my training plans - including when I had a coach - I found that I had to move workouts around and adjust as my schedule allowed - so I'm completely with you there. With respect to your longer training events. One of the things that I did for AZ was move when I did my long run to separate by a couple of days from my long bike. Nearly all of the plans will have the long ride and run on the weekend because that is when most of us have time to do the workouts. But putting those two training events back-to-back places a lot of stress on the body. If you can work it - you might consider doing your long run on Weds or Thursday - though from your comment it looks like that might not work. I use a Garmin 310XT - it loads nicely to BT. Since I use a couple of different devices I have a ritual of loading into the application that comes with the device - e.g. Garmin Connect, then I load to Training Peaks as my primary log. Then I upload to BT so I can share with the group here. A bit cumbersome - but it goes pretty quick. Let us know how you like First Endurance. I've not heard of them. I like Hammer's perpetuem - but I can't take it while running. It was great for me on the bike. During the Pikes Peak Ascent I tried to use the perpetuem - my stomach did not like it at all. I'm going to give the Perpetuem Solids a try this year while running to see how that works. |
| 2013-01-22 10:22 PM in reply to: #4556995 |
Veteran 260 Monument, Colorado | Subject: RE: We Don't Just Tri - We Do Group - Open Completed a lactate threshold field test today. The running training plan that I use - from Bobby McGee (like many others) includes periodic fitness level testing. The method that I used is described by Joe Friel and other coaches and is a popular method. It requires the use of a HR monitor that can keep track of laps and where the results can be examined. The test includes a thorough warm up, followed by a 30 minute maximum effort run - an effort that can be sustained over the entire 30 minutes. 10 minutes into the 30 minute effort, you press the lap button to capture the final 20 minutes. The average HR over that last 20 minutes is your lactate threshold level. Knowing your lactate threshold allows you to structure your workouts so as to gain the maximum benefit. Many coaches (and training plans) will set workout sessions at various zones to work on various aspects of fitness - aerobic base, sub-lactate threshold, and above lactate threshold for high intensity workouts. If you have chosen a plan from BT or another source it most likely includes some form of testing. If not - you might consider doing one. Knowing and understanding your heart rate (and power) zones is very useful not only in training, but also for racing - especially the longer distance races. My result shows that my fitness level has decreased somewhat from the last time I tested. Of course - I could have been slacking, or was tired and not at optimal condition for the test. But in any case, I will adjust my HR zones accordingly which will also affect how I do training. Later, in several weeks, I'll redo the test. Hopefully, my fitness level will improve and return to what it was. Thom |
| 2013-01-23 1:10 AM in reply to: #4556995 |
| New user 3 | Subject: RE: We Don't Just Tri - We Do Group - Open Hi Thom,
My name Arthur, 28 years old. I would like to join the group but I lived here in the Philippines. I am very new to this sports. I do some hiking here and as part of my preparation, I do run to have my legs endure some long walks. I don't engage on races but I do experience a 5km run in a duathlon relay and 2 half mary runs with a lot of walks on it. I am a little overweight and to lower it, I do some biking and lap swimming during weekends. I do plan to finish a sprint distance by June. As of now I am still reading information, details and how to's of triathlon. I wish to learn more in being part your group. Thanks Art, |
| 2013-01-23 4:16 PM in reply to: #4590520 |
Veteran 260 Monument, Colorado | Subject: RE: We Don't Just Tri - We Do Group - Open Hi Art, Welcome to the group. The sprint race is a good distance to get your feet wet in the sport. A race in June gives you plenty of time to prepare physically and to learn about the sport. Take a look around BT at some of the free training plans - or elsewhere on the net - and let me know if you have any questions. As you read and learn if any questions pop-up post them here and let the group take a stab at them. We'll all learn from everybody's questions/experiences. If you have not settled on a specific sprint event - find one that interests you and commit to it. I've found that is the best way to make sure one achieves their goals. I've been to many places in the world - the Philippines is not one. I have great things about the place - perhaps some day I'll be able to visit there. Again, welcome. Happy Tri'ing. Thom |
| 2013-01-24 12:28 AM in reply to: #4591689 |
| New user 3 | Subject: RE: We Don't Just Tri - We Do Group - Open Thanks for the acceptance Thom, Upon reading your previous post about structured workout plan, i ran tests to get my LTHR using an HRM. still confused with the process on how it works, I ran the test yesterday in a 400mtrack. the average of my HR for the last 20 minutes was 179BPM. After resting,I tackled some hills my HR gradually jumped up to 193BPM yet my average for that run was only 177BPM. If I plan to train inside the training zones, will I be getting the average HR of the overall workout for review and result ? Art |
| 2013-01-24 9:53 AM in reply to: #4556995 |
| Member 20 Spring, Texas | Subject: RE: We Don't Just Tri - We Do Group - Open Thom,I have a question for you. So I have started training a little more now. Swimming at least three days a week and running 3 days a week and also riding the bike and doing some strength training. Since I started all of this I have been suffering from a nasty head and chest cold. I was wondering if it could be from me over working my body? Have you or anyone else had these problems and what would you suggest I do? Thanks for the help! Jason |
| 2013-01-24 1:57 PM in reply to: #4592233 |
Veteran 260 Monument, Colorado | Subject: RE: We Don't Just Tri - We Do Group - Open Art, Can you load your results to BT? If so, I can take a look and give you my thoughts. To set your training HR zones you can utilize the function available in BT under Settings:Training Log Settings tab: Manage Your HR Zones tab: and then select "Create New HR Zone" and pick Run from the drop down list. Enter the result of the avg of your last 20 minutes - in this case 179 - load it into the Lactate Threshold field and select "calc". The application will then set your HR zones. To utilize the HR zones - if you have selected a training plan that is HR based - the workout will be focused toward a certain HR zone. For example, in Base training period workouts, most efforts will be sub-lactate threshold, usually in the zone 3. As you progress into Build periods you will have workouts at just above LT or just below. Workouts in the base period for runs are generally designed to improve technique and muscle endurance not to stress the cardiovascular system - thus working well below LT. Later workouts, in the build period, will focus on the cardiovascular system and they will help to improve your aerobic capacity and ability to work longer at higher outputs. There are some great resources here on BT on elsewhere that describe HR zone training in detail. Here are a couple of links: http://www.trifuel.com/training/triathlon-training/triathlon-traini... This is a fairly detailed handling along with a lot of information that describes how to set up a training plan: http://www.trainingbible.com/pdf/THRT_Chapter9.pdf If that is too much, try this resource: www.TargetHRT.com When doing the workout you want to ensure that you stay within the HR zone for most of the workout. Unless you are on a track or treadmill - meaning you are outside - you may find that you drift above or below from time to time - that is ok, so long as the majority of your workout is in the target HR zone. Thom |
| 2013-01-24 5:04 PM in reply to: #4592706 |
Veteran 260 Monument, Colorado | Subject: RE: We Don't Just Tri - We Do Group - Open Jason, I personally have not experienced getting a cold because of exercise. There is a lot of research that shows that regular exercise in fact improves immune function. That said, doing too much, too soon, or being in an overtrained state can weaken immune response and make your more susceptible to illness. Not sure what is going in your case. It could just be that you picked up a cold because tis the season. Or it could be that you are overtraining and made yourself more susceptible. The important thing is that you are exercising and your sure to reap the benefit vis-a-vis improved immune system response as your health and fitness increases. Whether you continue to exercise or not with a cold is something for you to consider. What I have learned and incorportated into my routine is that if I have a head cold I will likely continue to exercise. If I have a cold that is affecting my respiratory system I am likely to not work out though I will listen to my body. If I have a flu I don't work out and I give myself some time after I feel better to recover fully. Here are a couple of links to resources that are informative: http://www.livestrong.com/article/314884-should-i-exercise-with-col... http://www.livestrong.com/article/314884-should-i-exercise-with-col... http://www.livestrong.com/arhttp://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/inju... (with this article - note the comment about recovery and rest. As triathletes, especially those preparing for long distance events you have to ensure you include proper recover and rest) I hope this helps answer your question. Thom |
| 2013-01-25 12:10 AM in reply to: #4593209 |
| New user 3 | Subject: RE: We Don't Just Tri - We Do Group - Open Thom,
I am still familiarizing how BT and other software work but I managed to upload it in Training peak from timex. here is the link for my workout: http://www.trainingpeaks.com/av/S7UCTGQ2WQSKJ4EPHDGIDI3STQ I tested it in a track, Im not sure if what i have done is correct, still trying to familiarize with my HRM.
Thanks |
 2013-01-25 2:09 AM in reply to: #4556995 |
| Subject: ... This user's post has been ignored. |
| 2013-01-25 7:07 AM in reply to: #4556995 |
| Member 136 Simsbury, CT | Subject: RE: We Don't Just Tri - We Do Group - Open Hey Group, I have been meaning to post since Tuesday but things have been hectic at work. In any case, I wanted to share a couple of things on swimming. First, although I know the basics and am comfortable in the water, I have never been a "swimmer" meaning, I consider myself a sinker and getting into the water was reserved for vacations. When I started to do sprints last year, I started to do quite a bit of research on technique. I was also part of a coached group for first timers and more recently, did a few Masters sessions. Every bit of reading I did or the coaching tips I received, help me improve in some way. However, the biggest improvement for me was finding a video on YouTube about Total Immersion (TI). I can attempt to summarize by saying that it changed my focus from using my arms as the main propulsion component to using body roll inertia instead. I have gone from finishing a 1hr session feeling completely exahusted to Tuesday's session when I swam 3000 yards in a little over an hour and feeling strong enough that I could have gone longer (I had to go pickup my son from basketball practice so had to stop). Something that has been benefitial about this technique is that my left shoulder would always end up sore after a workout. Sore enough that I had concerns about being able to do the full 2.4 of an Ironman. This is no longer the case and in fact, my arms are nowhere near as spent as they used to be after swimming a shorter distance where I focused on my arms to paddle through. The best part about all of this is that there are 10 or so videos on YouTube that are completely free. I studied those carefully and never did the begining drills but instead focused on visualizing the rolling and gliding. I even ordered one of the DVD's but have yet to watch it. It has been a confidence booster for me. If swimming is not your strongest suit, you might want to check this out. This leads me to the Second thing I wanted to share. As I have gotten older, I have shifted from barely sweating to heavy sweating. During my training for the marathon I did last year, I ran into real trouble when I started to push the 3hr mark. I was well hydrated and was taking in enough calories, so that was not the issue. Some research and advice from my brother pointed me to SaltStick. I guess I was not taking in enough electrolytes, causing my quads and calfs to cramp severely. I am still trying to find the optimal amount but I now take them before any long run or bike workout. If I go more than 90 minutes, I take 2 before starting and then 1 every half hour. This seems to work. So you might ask what does this have to do with swimming? Well, this past Tuesday when I swam the 1.7 miles, I was probably a bit dehydrated and since I usually don't bring a bottle of water with me to the pool, I did not stop to drink during the workout. Towards the end of it, I felt my calfs starting to cramp. I slowed down and finished before they actually cramped. When I got home and used the restroom, my urine was deep yellow, confirming that I was dehydrated. This made me realize that I should probably take 1 or 2 SaltSticks tablets and hydrate well before a long workout in the water. Who would know that you could dehydrate with all that water around you! Armando |
| 2013-01-25 3:26 PM in reply to: #4593911 |
| Veteran 260 Monument, Colorado | Subject: RE: We Don't Just Tri - We Do Group - Open bree4bryce - 2013-01-25 1:09 AM I am interested in joining your group. I finished my first half marathon last weekend and signed up for my first sprint tri the middle of march. My goal is do complete an ironman within the next 4 years. -Bree Bree, Welcome aboard. Tell the group a little about yourself, your endurance sport /triathlon background, what drew you to the sport etc. Where was your half at and how did it go? I think a 3-4 year timeline toward an IM is a great plan. Allows you plenty of time to learn the sport and develop the training habits and cumulative fitness that will carry you to success. When you've settled on a training regime let us know and don't forget to add the group members as BT friends so that we can all see each other's training and encourage/motivate/inspire us all to our goals. Again - welcom aboard. Thom |
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