MJEWEN Summer 2013 Mentor Group - OPEN

Name: Melissa (melanfi)

Story: I came into triathlon after starting to swim during an injury-induced break from running. That was in 2010, and I did my first season of sprint triathlons in 2011. I am still only doing sprints, but I find that the mixture of different disciplines is a great way to stay fit while not over-using my knee. This is my second time in Mike's mentor group. We had a great support group going, learning a lot and keeping each other motivated, so let's keep that going through the summer!

Family: married with three children, 7, 11 and 17

My training: Currently swimming 3x per week, running 4x per week and biking zero times per week. I need to change that!

2013 races: 3 sprint tris in the Charleston Sprint Triathlon Series, Lowcountry Splash (2.4 mile open water swim), Francis Marion Dirt Dash half marathon in September, and we will see what else the year brings!

Goals: Improve on the bike leg. Keep running strong (no knee problems). Also, do a better job logging workouts and sticking to a plan.

NAME:  landmammal / Ken

STORY:  Was into football/wrestling in high school in Nebraska,  lots of weight lifting in college (NE) and for a few years after that.  Moved to Austin. Year round nice weather and bored of lifting... so decided running a marathon would be cool. Had knee problems from ramping up mileage too fast - had no idea how to train at all.  Got mono from running in a marathon relay when I should have been on bed-rest.   Got hitched and moved back to Nebraska. Stopped working out for about 8 years.  Decided on a whim in fall 2010 to run a marathon in Spring 2011. Death marched to a 5:26 but still loved it.  Started running more regularly, ran 4:40ish in Fall 2011.  Loved it more.  Trained on treadmill through the winter, ran 3:45 in Spring then 3:52 in Spring.  Learned a lot about proper training, put in lots of miles over summer.   Ran 3:12 in Fall 2012.  Lots of time on the treadmill in the winter got me to looking into expanding the hobby.  Just qualified for Boston with a 3:03 in Lincoln marathon. Horrible swimmer (hence my username).... focus of my training for early summer.

FAMILY STATUS: Married for 13 years with two kids.  

CURRENT TRAINING:  Swimming... going to be doing lots of it this summer.

THIS YEAR'S RACES:  Did an indoor tri to get my feet wet in Feb.  Sprint tris in July (2-3 planned). Chicago Marathon in October.

Name: EKH/Emile

Story: I'm 41 years old and started running about 5 years ago.  Before I started cycling I was running about 1800-2000 miles per year. Two years ago I ended up injuried and started cycling to stay fit while recovering and really enjoyed cycling so I started kicking around the idea of doing a triathlon.  I ended up doing two duathlons that first year and last year did another duathlon and a 70.3. 

I'm a school counselor/Psychometrist/wrestling coach so I stay pretty busy during the school year, but have the summers off (starts in 1 week) and get to devote a ton of time during the summer to training. 

Family Status: Married with three children.  I have an adult son, 7th grade daughter and a son in early childhood.  My wife likes to cycle and my daughter has done a kids tri and a 5k.

Current training: I'm currently dealing with a calf and heel problem that has really taken a hit on my running.  Due to the injury I've been devoting most of my training time to cycling and swimming.  Last year I used Finks competitive plan for the 70.3.  I plan on tweaking the plan some but using the same plan for next years 70.3.  I use Garmin devices and HRM for training.

This years races: My "A" race with be Redman 70.3 but plan on doing some smaller races along the way.

Goals for 2013: To improve my cycling, swimming and stay as injury free as I can.

Hi, Mike, I'd like to re-enlist in your group. 

NAME:  tmoons/ Terry

STORY: I'm 54 and I live in Ft Lauderdale, FL. I have always been active, mostly soccer and running along Ft Lauderdale Beach with an ocean swim a couple times a week and decided that Triathlon would be a great way to put it all together. Ultimately I'd like to do a full Ironman or full distance but decided to work my way up to that distance and take it easy (distance wise) this year with training and just get used to the racing atmosphere and all the energy that goes along with it.

FAMILY STATUS: Married and a 15 year old son. He did his first tri in January 2013.

CURRENT TRAINING: Several days a week. I try to do a long ride on the weekend and mix in running and swimming during the week along with strength training.

2013 RACES: June 1- Motivation Man HIM and June 13 USMS Pan American Masters Championships 1km distance swim.  New York City Int'l Distance Tri on July 14. September: Escape Miami Int'l Distance. October/Nov: an undetermined HIM. ((I’m looking to do a full distance in Naples FL in January 2014.))

MY GOALS:  get to a 20mph speed on the bike over a 25 mile course / get to a 10:00-10:40 mile for a 13.1 distance run

WEIGHT LOSS:  not really. I'm 5'9" between 175-180…ideally, Id like to be 165-170.

Hey all..... I haven't done much of anything this week... still recovering from the HIM last Sunday. I'm playing golf tomorrow.  On Sunday there is a 30 mile mother's day ride I'll do and then it all starts again on Monday -I meet with a swim coach for some pointers on technique. I'd like to be a little faster in the water, and the training series begins again to prep for a June 1 HIM.

I hope all is well with all of you.

Terry - How is the knee feeling?

Ken - Is your new avatar pic you finishing your marathon?  I couldn't tell if that was mud or blood on your face.

A couple of weeks ago I watched a video series on you tube by Gerry Rodriques on swim training for triathlons.  The series is one seminar but each video is only 10min long and I think there is 8-9 you tube videos.  I started implementing some of his ideas and I have seen a drastic drop in my 100m times in just a couple of weeks.  One of the things I really think has helped is using a snorkel, pull buoy, and ankle strap together.  I've been doing 10x50 with them almost everytime I go to the pool and it really lets you concentrate on your pull and staying streamlined and taunt in the water.

Emile,

Yeah, that's a pic from the marathon on Sunday.  

I've taken the entire week off, although I could feel my stress levels climbing through the work week.  I don't know how I used to survive without a daily workout.  Kind of a nice mental break in training though. Hope to get in a bike ride this weekend, but I have a lot to do to prepare to sell my house and buy a new one (staying in same city).

My face is healing up nicely... I think another couple days and I can get in the pool safely without risk of getting kicked out or getting an infection.

Username: themomma03 : Denise

Story: Have been fairly active my whole life, but after I had kids, I didn't have time to go for bike rides or play volleyball like I had before. So, after some time home raising little ones, I started walking with a friend, then moved to running. I did some 5K's, 10K's and few Half-Marathons. I had foot surgery in Dec. 2011, so last year was a bit of a recovery year. I decided to try to check off something on my bucket list, so I signed up for the Omaha Women's Tri (sprint distance), which is June 2. Training has been ok. I am a parochial school teacher, so I don't have a lot of money for this fairly expensive sport, but I am also very resourceful, so I feel I am doing the best I can with what I have. I was in Mike's Mentor group last time and would like to continue, and will hopefully be able to contribute more to this session.

Family Status: I have been married for 18 years, have three boys: 16, 14, and 12 and they keep me busy, but they are very fun and such great kids! My husband loathes working out, but is fairly supportive of my workouts and training.

Current training: I don't follow a specific plan, but I run with friends about 2-3 times a week, bike when weather is permitting (in Nebraska), and my gym doesn't have a pool, so I try to go to the local community center's indoor pool, and recently was able to get a 1 month's pass to a facility with an indoor pool. I got really sick about 2 weeks ago and had to take a full week off of training, and then last week start slowly back into my training workouts. The illness has been hard physically, but I think it hit me worse mentally. But I am trying to turn my thinking around and focus on what I can do in the next few weeks before the tri and just do my best. 

This year's races: Omaha Women's Tri June 2, possibly the Papillion Tri July 14, and a 10K in September.

Weight loss: I probably should try to lose a few, but right now, I am more focused on fitness rather than pounds. 

I am excited to follow everyone's progress and training, as that is what keeps me motivated!

Goals: Finish the Women's Tri, work on speed work in S/B/R, and start logging my workouts. 

KenL: Did you get that bike ride in this weekend? I hope that you will also find that getting in the pool more will make you enjoy swimming more. It's been very true for me. The more I swim, the more fun it becomes.

Wait, now I wonder if that would apply to me and my lack of bike riding, too?

Terry: A Mothers Day ride sounds nice. I bet you will gain a lot from meeting with a swim coach. It's amazing how our own perception differs from reality when it comes to swimming! It's just impossible to "see" ourselves, well without the benefit of video. It's helping me a lot, personally, to have had someone critique my stroke. I saw almost immediate improvement.

Emile: I didn't realize your kids were so spread out in age! There are 10 years between my oldest and youngest, and I totally love having had each child at different ages over the years. I feel like I can still really enjoy and appreciate the youngest because I see how fast they grow up. 

Mike: Thank you for mentoring again!

Hi Denise! Good to hear that you are feeling better and getting back into training.

Yesterday, I met up with my Saturday group for a run over our big bridge to Charleston for a great start to the day. I'll meet with this group most Saturdays over the summer - well, except for the weeks I'm on vacation with the family. When it starts getting brutally hot and humid here, it's the only way to get those long runs done! I did my marathon training with this group last year and loved having company and support along for the long runs. The organizer actually drives the route and stops with a cooler full of ice water and our sports drinks, cold towels, etc. The sight of his little red truck really puts a spring in your step! I will only be training up to half marathon distance this summer, just to see how my knee holds up. I am looking forward to it!

We are going to try stand-up paddleboarding today. Wish me luck!

Ken: awesome job on your BQ! I am so proud! I was feeling left out of the loop on the day of the Lincoln race and was very jealous for a small bit that day of all the runners running that day. You had such great weather considering what we have been going through this past winter and what was supposed to be spring. 

I went for a ride a few weeks ago and rode the route of my tri. That felt really good and I feel so much better about having that mental picture of what to expect. I also dipped my toes into the water of the lake we will be swimming in. BRRRRRRR! We had snow on May 1, so the weather is just starting to warm up a bit here, but noticed last night we had frost again. (I am hoping the plants my dear hubby planted in the garden survived.) June 2 just seems like it is coming too fast and I am not as ready as I would have liked to be. Was hoping to have done some open water swimming by now, but oh well. 

Was hoping for a Garmin Forerunner 10 for Mother's Day, but we had to purchase several things this past month, so it looks like that will have to wait, (again). I have many things to be grateful for, so this is a small price to pay. 

I am heading to the pool for a swim and maybe a quick run, then go to church, a graduation party and maybe some down time on Mother's Day. Ooops, oh probably not, still have several loads of laundry to do. Life of a parent!

Melanie: Hello and Happy Mother's Day! I have never heard of standup paddle boarding. Please take pictures. I agree with your statement about like swimming the more you do it. I didn't really care for it at first, but as I got better, I began to like it more. I also am considering switching gyms so I would have access to the pool at more convenient times that the lap swim times at the local community center. But it is hard to switch, as I have lots of support and friends at the gym I go to now, but I know I could not afford two gyms. I might look into a Master's swim program at UNO that meets early mornings (my ideal time to work out). I think it would help my technique greatly to have someone critiquing me and giving me feedback. 

Question for the group: I have not done any OWS yet, and Tri is June 2. There is a timed, organized OWS event that I could sign up for on May 23, that would cost me $25, plus another $12 because I have to have a USAT pass to participate. Do you think it is worth the money to do the OWS event, or should I just save the money and try to get in an OWS on my own? (which is going to be difficult, but not entirely impossible) I know the whole experience of getting in the water with others and all is important, but I also worry the event is too close to the Tri and I wonder if I should be tapering by then. Thoughts? 

So is It to late to join a mentor group?  I have realized that no matter how much I read online I still find myself asking questions.  

I'm a 33 old who opted to go back to school again this past spring for a career change (studying nutrition/ exercise phsy. I am felling pretty good as far as my training  goes, swam 2.01m ow this am but its those little things I still have a million question about.  Do I wear my heart rate through the whole race, how best to practice transitions, race number  on the belt,etc.   I'm doing a half June 23! Ohh yea its also my first tri ever.  I was a distance runner before getting into swimming  and biking but loving it all now! 

thanks 

Andrew 

Hey, Andrew, I wear my HRM after the swim. I put it in my helmet in transition and. I like race belt - you just rotate it after the bike to bring the number to the front. The best transition practice is to keep things really simple and know where everything is. Helmet on the aero bars with the HRM/Race belt and sun glasses inside. shoes under the bike. that's pretty much it.

Denise save the money. you can do the OWS by yourself. Don't worry about all the people. I still start behind everybody and outside to avoid all the craziness. I find that swimming in "clear" water is more beneficial to my well-being than all the bumping in the pack. Take off easy, find your pace and breathing and all will be well. Although I will say that I'm becoming much more comfortable in that mix......

Emile- thanks for the tip on the insole for biking.... I didn't find the one you mentioned but the one i used last week was terrific. No hot foot at all..... I thought about it a few times during the ride.... wondering when it was going to happen.... but it did not.

The knee was feeling good until the ride yesterday... still a little uncomfortable... so this morning I stretched really good and began to do some leg extensions and curls to strengthen the area and really stretch it out better.  I think one of the problems I'm having is that biking is still relatively new to me and the duration of the rides and the muscles being used are different than I'm used to. That being said.... I have to rethink my stretching and strength training relating to that.

Mike- thank you for being our Mentor again.......

Melissa - thanks, the mothers day ride s was about 46 miles at a really good pace throughout...I'm really looking forward to the swim coach tonight..... I'll keep you guys posted.

Ken - I took the week off also... I was getting antsy about Wednesday really wanting to do something, but you're right... it's a nice mental break from training.

I am considering doing a full distance event in January.......

I posted another kennedy space center - launch pad photo on the album.... changed the avatar to last weeks finish....

hi I am looking for a mentor and hoped that you could help

details 

I am 39.  

my first triathlon is in 7 days (sprint - lutterworth england)

I was very postive up to yesterday when I drove around the cycle route (it was windy and raining - so I decided cycling was not the best).  

I am average fitness (but way below triathlon levels)

I have played rugby for 20 years.  I am 13st / 5ft 10.  I have a lot of muscle mass on my upper body (not particularly useful!!).  my body fat is 18%.  

my target times are 

400m swim 7 minutes

20km bike 45 minutes

5km run 25 minutes. 

my weaknesses are 

1) my size - I need to lose weight / size - I am reducing my strength training (I have started cross fit and removed weight specific sessions)

2) my bike handling skills - I will pedal all day, but I am going to lose time / effort braking on bends.

I need some help in the last week in terms of

taper (what should I be doing) 

diet (this week, the day before and on the day)

my training to date has focused on what I considered my weal areas:

cycling (about 80k per week in 3 to 4 sessions)

running (about 20k per week - typically a 10k run, a 5k run and a interval sprint session for 20 minutes)

swimming - very little as I have swam for 20 years and feel any gains would be marginal compared to the other two areas (probably 2k per week - where complete 2 to 3 sessions, with at least two timed 400m below 7 minutes).

1 rest day per week and 1 deep tissue massage every two weeks

many thanks for taking the time to read this.

Lee

First day in the pool since Feb.  I had bought some paddles and ankle strap to start using and decided to give them both a go right from the start.   My legs sank like lead after about 10 feet and my feet were practically dragging on the bottom of the pool.  The lifeguard nonchalantly gets up, walks around the pool to the closet and comes back holding out a pull buoy.   No words, just holds it out.  It was hilarious.  I said thanks, I was just about to get one myself

With the pull buoy, things went quite a bit better.  By the end of the workout I think I had made some pretty good adjustments and getting a better pull phase that doesn't push my legs down as much.  I can already tell that swimming with the ankle strap is going to be a huge help for my swimming.    I rotated my water toys around quite a bit and did some swimming with no extra junk just to make sure I don't develop muscle memory that is only good for swimming with paddles, buoy, and ankle strap.

Melissa, you are sooooo right about the swim coach. beside the encouragement there are the pointers about the strengths and weaknesses. We did a lot of drills to help balance and alignment in the water.  I'm really happy. I'll do some drills for a week or so and have a next session.....

Welcome Lee.... taper: it's an individual thing. Relax, the week prior do less intensity and duration and a very light swim, easy bike and marathon paced short run the day before and you'll be ok.  Diet: Many people like to Carbo load... I actually do the opposite. I mean some carbs are okay, but i prefer to eat cottage cheese, salads and meat before racing. What is your current diet? Veggie, Traditional, paleo/caveman??  don't change your diet before a race. hydrate a few days out. A sprint race will be over very quickly. With a sporting/rugby background you already have a grasp of how to prepare for optimal performance. Use this race as a learning experience and remember that you will do fine.

Welcome Lee.... taper: it's an individual thing. Relax, the week prior do less intensity and duration and a very light swim, easy bike and marathon paced short run the day before and you'll be ok.  Diet: Many people like to Carbo load... I actually do the opposite. I mean some carbs are okay, but i prefer to eat cottage cheese, salads and meat before racing. What is your current diet? Veggie, Traditional, paleo/caveman??  don't change your diet before a race. hydrate a few days out. A sprint race will be over very quickly. With a sporting/rugby background you already have a grasp of how to prepare for optimal performance. Use this race as a learning experience and remember that you will do fine.

Lee - seems like you're on point with everything. Are there a lot of turns in your bike course? Being nervous for the first tri is natural. You will do fine. I like the brick workout you mention:

Wednesday - light bricking session - 2k splin bike / 0.5k treadmill run x 5 (and practice changing shoes)

I will try this a few times. It seems so easy and can be done right in the gym (I loathe training in the gym) but will give this a try.  I'll let you know how it works out.

It is interesting that leading up to your race you increase fruits and slightly decrease protein in your diet... 

What are people doing about nutrition when racing? I know every one is different in respects to amount and their choice of goodies when racing.  I am wondering if there are any formulas as to how much water/calories one should be ingesting vs on the bike/run.  Do you just fallow how much you have burned in training and kinda tailor it to that? go off heart rate? calories burned? do I take electrolyte tablets? 

I know this is a rather large question so feel free to overview it. 

Thanks 

I think the general rule of thumb is that you can store glycogen pretty easily for 1 hour of exercise.  So the fueling needs for a sprint triathlon seem pretty minimal.

More experienced folks that have actually done real triathlons should chime in, but I'm planning to just have some gatorade on the bike when I do my sprint triathlons in July

I agree with Ken. Fueling for a sprint distance triathlon is very minimal. 

Longer distances, obviously, require a more disciplined and thought out plan.

As far as electrolytes, I use two different kinds. Hammer Endurolytes or Saltstick Caps. ((www.saltstick.com)) They both include sodium, chloride, magnesium potassium, calcium and a vitamin D3. they help replace all the minerals lost during training and racing. The heat here in South Florida is usually very hot and humid.... today it was sunny and 84/29c. So it's essential to hydrate and replace lost electrolytes/minerals during our longer training/race sessions. I would take a few Endurolytes per hour, or a salt stick cap about every 45 minutes. 

I'm 5'9" and weigh 178. As far as hydration, I usually take a few mouthfuls of water every 10-15 minutes.

Terry: Thanks for the advice on skipping the organized OWS. I still haven't completely ruled it out. I am hoping to see what the water is like this weekend. It snowed on May 2, but today was 104 F! Nebraska weather is crazy! I figured I could always sign up next week if I don't get a chance to get in the water somewhere this weekend. 

Andrew: Welcome to the group! It sounds like you are very prepared for your Tri coming up. I like your idea of just practicing the transitions as part of your workout. I am going to try that, too.

Not sure if it is because I was not feeling well a few weeks ago and am pushing myself too hard, but my workouts have felt so sluggish lately. I am going to try to take more rest days in the next two weeks to see if that helps to get me back up to par before the tri.

I went swimming on Sunday (750m), rode 20K, then was going to just do a mile or so on a run just to see how the legs/body would feel. Well, I had a flat tire, so I had a bit of time in between the swim and ride while I repaired the flat. After the ride, I went to the bathroom, grabbed a quick drink and was off. I felt horrible. My lower left side immediately got a side stitch, and my calves cramped up something fierce. I decided to walk and stretch until I felt better. I probably only went about 3/4 mi. total. I am thinking hydration and a hard leg workout on Friday may have been key causes to my cramping. So I guess I will try to take that into consideration for the week before the tri, but wondered if any of you had any other thoughts on that?  

thanks again everyone for keeping me motivated. I am starting to just want it to be over. I think it has a lot to do with the crappy, non-existent spring weather we have had.

OK.... I registered for Ironman Florida 70.3 today. The race is on Sunday 5/18.... I figured since I would be in the area ..... why not......they said...."Dear terrence moons, Thank you! You are now registered for the 2013 IRONMAN 70.3 Florida - 70.3. Please check the event's website for updates."

It's not quite in my planned races, but the more the merrier, right??