OPEN -TRI (Totally Radical Improvement) - Clydes/Athenas to competitors

I'll get the ball rolling, I'm back for another round with this mentor group, hoping to see the old group back and some new faces join in the motivation 

Name: Andrew

STORY: My story is a long one, it began a few years ago, in mid 2009. I weighed about 300lbs at that stage and one thing led to another, I finally found the motivation to lose some weight. During the weight-loss process I discovered running, and by December that year had dropped to 220lbs and ran my first HM (2:20:xx)

Unfortunately, as many others have discovered, the hardest part of loosing weight is making the change permanent. in 2010 I started my multi sport adventure (my first Duathlon) but my weight crept back up to 260lbs. I turned it around again and by the end of the year was back to 220lbs, and dropped my HM time to 2:10:xx. 

In 2011 I competed in my first tri, 2 sprints in the NZ summer, my weight continued to bounce around between 210-240lbs and I began training for my first HIM in December 2011, unfortunately I tried to ramp up my training to fast and ended up injured for the 2nd half of the year. 

2012. I began the year slowly, building up my training after the injury. I tried to focus on consistent training, and a consistently improved diet. I competed in 4 tris, 1 du, my first century ride and a HM where I set a PR of 2:03:xx 

2013, after what seemed like years of trying to, I ocmpleted my first HIM, in 6 hours, 39 minutes. I blew up dramatically on the run, but it was by far the most satisfying achievement to date in my 'athletic career' 

FAMILY STATUS:  Unmarried,

CURRENT TRAINING: I'm just coming into my off season, so it's a bit hit and miss. I'll be going on a bit of a run focus, I want to slowly increase my volume up to 50km/week average by next summer. (about double what I've done so far this year) I'll also be hitting the trainer a lot, winter is a good time for lots of hard interval sessions to work on the bike fitness. 

Currently averaging around 8 hours S/B/R a week. I'd like to increase that up to 10-12 by next summer.

2013 RACES:  

• Complete:
  • 20 Jan, Ironman Auckland 70.3 -- Race Report
  • 10 March, Peoples Tri, Maretai (Sprint) -- Race Report
    
  • 6 April, Kai Iwi Sprint Tri -- Race Report 
    
   
  Planned:
  • 18 May, Northern Crossing
  • Winter, To be determined half matathon
  • 14 December, Taupo Half Ironman  

WEIGHT LOSS GOALS:  As I talked about in my story I ave struggled with making my weight-loss permanent. My current goal is to get back below 220lbs (and stay there) long term I think I should weigh around 180-190lbs. My goal is to get close, and as I get close determine what a healthy weight for me is. 

GOALS:  

• Set a PR in the northern crossing, sub 5:30
• Run a HM in under 2 hours. 
• Break 6 hours in my next HIM, in December
• Continue to build my base fitness level
• Get to a healthy weight 

Rather than starting my own group I would like to get in on this group if I may.

Name: Airborne / Arnt

STORY: My story ... I joined the triathlon community to quit smoking. I remember standing in line at Ironman Canada in Penticton to register, just stinking of smoke, where I met some extraordinarily friendly folks that were are also from North Vancouver. They convinced me to join their tri-club. Shortly afterwards I found and joined BT. I've been a member of both for 10 years. I set a goal to complete 10 IM distance races. I have completed Ironman Canada and Wisconsin each and Arizona twice.

I have a great full time job and went back to do university full time while working to do a degree. I stopped training and gained a lot of weight. It's time for me to get back into shape as I just turned 50 in March. Then in September I will get back into the Argentine Tango dance community ... but that's a different adventure.

FAMILY STATUS:  Bachelor - no kids

CURRENT TRAINING: I'm going to start (officially) on Saturday May 04th with a swim.

2013 RACES:  August 25th - Ironman Canada at Whistler

WEIGHT LOSS GOALS:  I peaked at 245, I'm currently 238 and I expect to lose all excess weight and get to 170 lbs race weight.

GOALS:  

• Lose weight - if even by restricted caloric intake alone
• Train consistently
• Avoid injuries
• Finish my 5th Ironman
• Make new friends

Do you have any idea on when we'll be 'going live' paul? Also, do you know if anymore of the old group going to continue? 

How was your 70.3? I think that this thread would be greatly improved with a race report.

I had a couple of days off, to recharge the batteries over Sunday/Monday. Since then, a couple of medium runs, and an easy trainer ride. Looking forward to a run, and spinerval DVD on the trainer after work tonight. 

Good luck with your OWS Arnt, is this a race, or a training swim? 

Working on the race report ... I went sub 6 so I am stoked on that BUT I imploded on the run so obviously I have to fix something BIG TIME before the ironman ... 

Mike and Ony will hopefully be joining us - and we will see if we get some other guys/gals to join us.

Did a 2900 meter swim today (in a pool) felt good and I am confident I can pound out the iron distance now - the OWS portion of my tri last weekend was so cold I wore booties and a neoprene hat ... back to work on the report.  Tomorrow I have a run and a gym visit on tap - how about you guys?

Hey guys, Sorry for no response for quite awhile,  Glad to be back,  I was in the Bahamas on a trip with my wife.  I know you feel bad for me.  LOL.  Well I did get a lot of training in while I was down there.  Ran around 40 miles and I did get one open water swim in about 1.5 miles.  First time ever swimming in the ocean like that.  Very interesting, my wife paddled a kyak next to me while I was swimming just in case i did get in trouble.  Swim was really slow, she had my running GPS watch with her in the Kyak so not sure how accurate it really was.  If it was I averaged around 1:49 per 100.  The big thing I didn't like was the salt water in my mouth the whole time.  Obviously no way to avoid this.  but overall very glad I did it.  Back on the bike now that I'm home and feeling way better on it.  Good to see everyone is doing well.

Congrats Paul on beating 6 hours.

Hi Guys, 

Pretty good weekend for me, Did my long run (Only 60 min) on Friday, ran and biked Saturday and Sunday. The only slight let down was the friend I do some of my long rides with had commitments latter on Sunday, so my long ride was shorter than planned. 

I'm now into race week, ahead of the northern crossing on Saturday. So I have a light training load ahead, and lots of rest planned. 

Overall I'm feeling pretty good about how my training has gone. I've made big gains biking over the last year. And although my running is not as strong as it has been, I've picked things up quite well since my last Tri, I've definitely used the last 4-5 weeks to improve here. 

The course has changed slightly this year. Run 1 will be easier, but the bike will be a little harder with a new climb added to the end. The final run is the unchanged. So I'm not sure how the times will relate to previous years. But that said, my first attempt in 2010, I took 7 hours 17 minutes to be the last official finisher, by 2012 I had improved to 5:48:33. 

This year, depending on how well the day goes, I'm targeting a time somewhere between 5 - 5 and a half hours. 

Starting to get excited about the weekend already... 

Posted this on the wrong site.  Here's from my weekend long ride

56 Mile bike ride today in about 2:51.  I say about because at the 46 mile point averaging about 19.6 mph my Garmin watch lap counter became full and my watch shut down.  Other than that a very good ride, since I'm not used to going that long.

Thanks, the first year was my first multisport event of any type, so I didn't really know what I was getting in to and was hugely under prepared. It is nice to see the improvements every year tho.

It's a ' multisport' event so if you do the full thing you, run, bike, run again and kayak. I'll be doing the duathlon option, which is 8km run, 80km bike, 8km run. 

If anybody's interested check it out http://www.northerncrossing.co.nz/

Psyched to be back up and running!  

Here is the race report from my 70.3 - http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=488483 - I fell apart on the run but I was happy with the swim and bike - have about 70 days to get it together for Ironman Lake Placid ...

My training the week after the race was sporadic and uninspired - I started my new position and have not worked out the balance of work/family/training yet with the adjusted work schedule.  So far this week has been more solid and I have three solid training days in - today is off and then a solid Fri-Sat-Sun of work planned.

Monday hit the gym first:

3 x 30 Decline Bench Sit-ups

21/15/9 Pull ups with machine

21/15/9 Lunges: Walking/Reverse/Forward

21/15/9 Dead Lift into Shoulder Shrugs

21/15/9 Leg Press: Seated 

3 x 30 Medicine ball twists
 

Then hit the pool for a swim:

WU-  150 Swim free
         100 Kick without fins and kick board
         150 Swim free
         100 Kick w/fins in streamline position 
                (no board)

DS-   12 x 50  Drill down/Swim back (2 sets w/out    
                      fins and 2 sets w/fins alternating)
          1-  Fingertip drag drill
          2- 3 count catch-up free drill    
          3- 3 count arm switch drill

PS-    4 x 100 Pulling Free w/paddles and buoy
                      (breathing pattern 3/5/7/3, long slow 
                       arms rotating the shoulders and hips)

KS-     3 x 100 Kicking (use board entire time)
                 1- Split first 25 with just the right leg 
                      kicking and the second 25 with just 
                      the left leg, then the last 50 with both 
                       legs kicking
                 2- Kick with fins and board using both 
                      legs for the entire 100 yards
                 3- Using fins repeat: Split first 25 with 
                      just the right leg kicking and the 
                      second 25 with just the left leg, then 
                      the last 50 with both legs kicking

WD-   200 choice

TY-     2,000 meters

Tuesday was another swim day and usually I don't do back to back swims but I did this week:

Swim:

WU- 150 Stroke
        100 Kick
        150 Pull
        100 Stroke 
        150 Swim

DS-   9 x 50  (Use fins)
         1- Log roll with 3 count
         2- Shark fin with 3 count
         3- sailboat with 2 count

MS-  7 x 200 Pulling (3-5-7-3 breathing pattern per 
                    100 yards)
        9 x 100 Split 50 Kick @ 90%/50 Swim @ pace
                    (alternate using fins every other 100) 

CD-  300 Choice

TY- 3,000 meters 

I was really zonked after this - shoulders were sore ... but I jumped on the trainer.

Did 1:40 minutes and tried to increase tempo every 20 minutes.  Slept like a rock for 4 hours.

Yesterday I went to work on 4 hours sleep - and put in 12 hours ... all I wanted to do was sleep

but I ran as scheduled:

-Start with a 15min warm-up
-20 minutes at steady tempo pace (10 secs slower than 10k mile pace)
-10 mins easy recovery jog
-20 minutes at steady tempo pace (10 secs slower than 10k mile pace)
-Finish with 15min cool down

1:12 minutes ... 9:14 miles ... ended up sub 8 average overall.  

How much faster would I be if I wasn't always so tired?

Sorry for the book - missed you guys!!

Well howdy.  Figured I should probably find some like minded people so here I am.  Mind if I hang around for awhile?

NAME: Chris, 27, just South of Seattle

STORY: Well I'm fat.  I have been my whole life, and have only every really just flirted with being active.  After a cowoker who was really obese passed in January, it was kinda a wake up call to me.  Between that and the mounting social pressure of my upcoming wedding, I needed to kick my diet/workouts into a higher level.  A guy at work has done several IM's, so I said why not.  I'm an Air Traffic Controller on the wet side of Washington, so my schedule is really messed up.

FAMILY STATUS: Engaged, Aug 3rd 2013 in Lake Tahoe is the big day.  One dog (lab), and no kids.

LAST SEASON: I was eating pizza, lots of beer, and fooling myself that I wasn't in that bad of shape.

CURRENT TRAINING: Killing myself.  I'm probably over training, I'm working out 5-6 days a week, some days I'm doing two a day workouts.  Usually swim 2-3 days in the morning, two days of strength training, several 30-60 min stationary bike rides a week at work, two running days a week.  Late June I also plan to add in Hot Yoga.

2013 RACES: Starting in Feb, my fiance and I (and some of the bridal party) have been doing a 5K a month. So far....

Feb: Valentines Day Dash: 297 LBS 38:02
Mar: St. Pattys Day 5K: 289 LBS 40:35
April: Seattle Earth Day 5K: 279 LBS 37:01
May: L.E.A.P. Special Olympics 5K: 270 LBS 34:02
June: Dirty Dash South Sound
July: Color in Motion 5K
Aug: ????
Sept: Seattle Escape the Rock Tri 

 WEIGHT LOSS: So I started my diet the day after Christmas at my all time highest 317 pounds.  As of this morning I'm down to 268, a loss of 49.5 pounds (15.6%).  I'm doing low carb.  That isn't up for debate.  I have tried just about every plan out there and this is the only way of eating that has been able to take the weight off.  Currently I'm having some issues with my diet as I've been stalled for almost 3 weeks.  I think it may be a cortisol imbalance due to the amount of training I'm doing.

Goal: Ironman in 2015.  Its huge, honestly I'm scared of it.  But between watching youtube recaps, and BSing with my buddy at work about it, I want it.  Bad.  My kinda rough plan is to do a sprint this year (September), an Olympic or two next year, and shoot for either the Lake Tahoe or Lake Coeur D'alene full length in 2015.  Yes its ambitious, but I think given that I have 2+ years to train for it, its attainable.  In the mean time, my main focus is dropping the weight.  I think I'd be well balanced somewhere around the 200 pound mark.  Though sub 200 would be nice (I've never seen the scale with a 1 as the first number).

In my siggy is a link to the blog I started.  I hope to write about this experience good or bad.  Hope you all enjoy, and hopefully I can learn something along the way too.