Why not "Tri"? - Closed

Hello! I'm new to triathlons, but am interested in this Mentor Program group. Is this still active?

Hi there. Welcome to BT. This is active and in fact you would be the first one in my group since I started a little late in joining the mentor pool this year. So please give me a little background on yourself. What got you interested in Triathlon?

Thanks! I’m looking forward to 2015. I used to run just for the fun of it, but never consistently, and mostly on trails. Stopped after numerous sprains to both ankles and decided to buy a road bike. Thought a sprint tri would be a good balance/ challenge without too much running. It took me a couple of years before I signed up for an event, which I backed out of from lack of training. Joined the gym and trained consistently starting in November 2013, finished a sprint last August.

NAME: Britt

FAMILY STATUS: Single with 6 horses, a cat, and a dog

CURRENT TRAINING: I’m not following a specific training plan yet, working out 5-6 days a week. I’m trying to build my running speed so I spend a lot of time on the treadmill (Comfortable pace of 11/ mile for 3 miles), but need to focus more time on biking and swimming.

2014 RACES: Sprint Tri, 25 mile bike, 5 mile run, 10k, half-marathon. Didn’t train for the half-marathon, last minute decision, but luckily survived.

2015 RACES: Half marathon at the end of April. Still need to find a sprint tri around March/ April.

WEIGHTLOSS: I lost about 20 lbs last year and want to lose about 20 more, but just as it comes with training/ eating better.

Name: GrumpyHuw / Huw

Story: In my youth i played football ( the proper kind you use your feet for - not the type that you need to armour plating to play ) but ended up woth knee injuries and called it a day. When my daughter was born i ballooned up to 230lbs and decided to do something about it so i signed up for a half marathon and used that as inspiration to get off my . Well after completing my 2nd half marathon in sub 2hrs i realised my knees didnt like me very much for that either. Roll on 2 years and I've started putting back on the weight that i lost while running and been daydreaming about a triathlon for 12 months so i've signed up for a supersprint in may and probably a sprint in august.

Family status: Married with a 4yo daughter

Current training: 2x swim (during lunch breaks) 2x trainer session on the bike (after my daughter is in bed) and 2x run (plodding around after my daughter is in bed too).

This Years Races: SuperSprint May 31st, Sprint August, probably a 10 k in July and numerous 5ks on sat mornings.

Weightloss: get back under 200lbs to start (current 207) then down to 185lbs

I guess i just need someone to help me keep to my 2x2x2 weekly schedule and stop me veging out on the sofa instead (I know thats just for me to motivate myself but a kick up the butt from time to time helps )

Cheers
Huw

Edited by grumpyhuw 2015-01-31 9:55 AM

Britt and Huw,
Well, hello to both of you. Good to see that you both have an idea of what you are trying to accomplish. I'll do what I can to answer any questions, provide advice (sometimes even helpful advice) and together we'll keep each others motivation up. Motivation is one of the harder things about this in the winter months. When I have a spring race (that seems so far away), I find it helpful to put a countdown on a wall or on my calendar so that I realize how little time I actually have to get my butt off the couch. This is particullarly important for me at the beginning of a new training plan (when its easy to cheat and skip a day) or after I've had a break in training due to weather or travel. Helps get me back on track.
r/
Mike

NAME: Kelly

STORY: This will be my third Tri season. After my second daughter was born I decided to stay home with the kids and promptly turned into a gym rat. I was never a hang out with the ladies at aerobics class kinda gal so I signed up for a sprint Tri to give myself a focus. I did a bunch of sprints the last two summers and decided to put my money where my mouth is and do 70.3 in Raleigh this year. I'm excited!! Nervous but excited.
I was never an athlete. I was a drama kid turned bartender and I really never thought I would ever quit partying much less start exercising but motherhood does weird things to you. I ran through my first pregnancy ten years ago and have been running ever since. I was a swimmer as a little kid so the swimming has come back to me but the cycling is all new! I think 80% of the miles on my bike have been during races so my challenge with the 70.3 is to get my a$$ off the spin bike and out on the roads enough!! I can fake it through the sprints but I will need to actually ride my bike for this season!

FAMILY STATUS: Married with 2 girls, 9 and 3

CURRENT TRAINING: Training for HIM Raleigh in May 2015. Doing the training schedule from BT with minor adjustments. I get 90 minutes of daycare at the gym spin juggle things a little. 60 minute bike and a 30 minute run becomes a 58 and a 27 so I have time to switch out my shoes and get back down to the kiddo room and not be late!

THIS YEAR'S RACES:
APRIL 11: Belews Lake Olympic
APRIL 18: Tarheel 10 MILER
MAY 31: IRONMAN 70.3
September 12: 70.3 at JordanLake

I'm sure I will do a few sprints over the summer with friends.

2014 RACES:
MARCH 22 - Merge 25 K
APRIL 13 - rock and roll half marathon in Raleigh
APRIL 27 - Girls Run the World sprint
MAY 10 - Jordan Lake Open Water Swim 2 miles
JUNE 7 - Race 13.1Raleigh - half marathon
JULY 13 - Rex Wellness Sprint Triathlon -
JULY 26 - Mission Man Triathlon
AUGUST 17 - Rex Wellness Sprint
OCTOBER 5 - Rambling Rose Sprint Tri
October 12 - Rex wellness sprint tri -
October 19 / 1/2 marathon food truck rodeo

WEIGHTLOSS: I struggle with food when I have toddlers. As soon as I get the memo about not eating my entire lunch and then their entire lunch because let's face it kids survive on air and cheese sticks it seems that they grow up and start eating. Sigh. So sure, I would love to drop ten pounds and I will again.

So that's my story. I apologize in advance for my typos. I plan my workouts on my phone with a sleeping toddler at night


Mike, My little bro lives in HI w the navy. He's a submariner. I have still not been out to visit. He went straight to Hawaii after the USNA so I have no excuse! He has been there almost ten years!

Nice to meet you all! I'm sorry I wrote a book!

Kelly,
Hello and welcome to the group. That was an impressive 2014 season, especially juggling toddlers, congrats!
See you in Raleigh in May!
Cheers
Mike

To kick off some discussion, let me pose a question to you. Given that all three of you have raced and are currently training; What tips/tricks do you use when indoors on the trainer or treadmill?

I'll go first. I spend the majority of my bike training indoors. Partly because there aren't too many places around me that I'm comfortable riding outside (still not entirely comfortable after being run over a few years ago). I have two things that make those trainer days bearable. 1. Sufferfest videos. 2. Playing Xbox. I'll admit that I get a better(harder) workout when I'm doing sufferfest (or some other video with Trainerroad giving me guidance), but I can do longer duration rides if I am lost in an xbox game (and do find myself changing cadence and speed based on what I might find my character doing).

For treadmill, sadly, these tricks do not work for me. I have yet to find anything that can get me to run on the bloody thing more than about 20 minutes. Just too ADD I guess.

So what do you find has or hasn't worked for you?

Ha!!! xBox!! And here I was feeling lousy about watching Netflix. Yep. I watch garbage TV shows while riding indoors and running on the dreadmill. I do 80% of my training indoors due to childcare and I plug in and tune out to some trash tv on my phone. I can ride forever during a movie but the treadmill eventually gets boring no matter what.

I also listen to audiobooks. Even when I run outside I am usually listening to a book. To make my treadmill runs more exviting if I am getting bored towards the end I will do intervals. Amp up the hair metal in my headphones and watchin the clock helps me kill time.

Nothing made me run more than the months I watched Breaking Bad and Dexter! Can't watch either with the kids around so I was always ready to hit the gym and catch a new episode!

Im out on the road to run even at the near freezing temperatures we have at the moment.

as for the trainer - ive found a group of spin class type videos on youtube put together by some local ex pro riders so i follow them - I'm out in the garage so no console for me to play on and besides for the distances Im preparing for an hour long video on You Tube does for me

kelly hi,

thats an impressive race load you managed last year - the entry fees would stop me from doing that many

huw

Hi is it too late to join this group?

Loops,
Not at all. Welcome! Please tell us a little about yourself.

Grumpyhuw - my race schedule was heavily subsidized by my grandmother and FSSERIES offered a great deal this last year on their rex series. I was amazed when I wrote it all down how many races I had cranked out last year!

I was a late starter to triathlon 2 1/2 years ago I did a season of sprints which I absolutely loved. I am not competitive I love to be able to complete each discipline and cross the finish line. I was in hospital for a year about 18 months ago, then I had a foot operation in November which I am still finding painful. However I have won a place in a HIM at the end of May . It has always been my ambition and dream to complete a HIM, I have found a very basic programme I am going to try and follow though it will be the first time I have run for months tomorrow. I wonder if you think maybe it is too short a time to achieve? also it is hard to get out on the bike at the moment with dark nights and icy weather, so today for example the programme said a 40 min bike ride but I did a spin class instead....what do you think?

All of my training in the winter is done at the gym. Cycling inside is the worst, but I always set a time goal and think about how good it will feel to get back on my bike this spring. I only listen to techno type music and watch the clock to switch up the resistance/ cadence every minute or so, helps pass the time. Tried listening to a book on tape, which helped, but I didn’t push myself much during the hour I was on the bike.

I set goals for running as well, but focus more on my breathing/ stride and that helps me get through the workout. Along with scanning the tvs on the wall constantly…

all of my bike work is done on a trainer in my garage at the moment. i follow along with spin classes on you tube i think better safe than sorry

Loops, I have pushed through the pain of an injury, or returned to training before I was fully healed, more times than I can count. Despite what I thought at the time about the "importance" of the race or the "need" to workout, it has always ended poorly. I either reinjured the part, or I caused healing to take twice as long as it should have. In my opinion, a HIM in May after foot surgery in Nov is too soon. (but you didn't say what kind of surgery). However, its also dependent on what you expect to be able to do in the HIM. Could you cross the finish line with a lot of walking? Sure. But no race is ever worth compromising your health. You run the risk of managing to do a mediocre performance race now and sacrifice ever racing again due to chronic injury.

Now, for everyone let me wax philosophic on priority of training and what you can do to just "complete" a race. As you may have noticed by now there are rarely enough hours in the week nor fuel in your tank to have perfect training in all three disciplines (swim, bike, run). So you need to find the balance and compromise on what sport gets the most attention. In my opinion, the sport that requires the most effort to ensure you can complete without killing yourself would be the bike. Here is my logic for this. You can change strokes or float on your back if you tire during the swim. You can walk during the run. But you can't fake it on the bike. Your only choice is to pedal while sitting on that seat. So putting time in on YOUR BIKE, is of primary importance. Your neck, back and butt will react very differently to the geometry and setup of your bike than it will to spin bike or exercise bike at the gym. Sure, those will let you work on endurance, but your body needs time in the position you will be in on race day. The most miserable you will ever be will be if you don't have time on your bike and your body protests in the middle of a race.
So, if you have to modify your training or "skip" a workout, I would prioritize bike time on the road or a trainer over all others.

Cheers
Mike

Mike,
I would like to join your group.

NAME: John

FAMILY STATUS: Married, with 3 daughters. My 16 year old wants to do a sprint tri with me this year.

CURRENT TRAINING: Running, biking and crossfit training. It's been kind of cold to swim at the outdoor pool, but I hope to start up some this week. I am not the strongest swimmer and it's taking me lots of practice to be able to do what I can. I am learning how to be more efficient though. I printed out a 16 week plan with each event trained 2x a week that I am putting into rountine. I use the Strava app to track my bike and running. Most of my biking has been done on a trainer in my garage. It saves on travel time, lets me focus on a specific type of fitness ride and is safer due to less traffic.

My wife, 16 year old daughter and myself do a garage crossfit style workout about 5 days a week. The focus is on multiple movements for 5 rounds with a 200 yard run between each round. A typical round will feature 20 reps of each: burpees, an ab/core exercise, pushups, and kettlebell swings.

2014 RACES: Tiny Texan in Boerne, TX and the Kerrville Sprint in Kerville, TX.

2015 RACES: I am planning on attending the following events: HITS in Marble Falls, TX (April), Lake Pflugerville (June), Couples Tri in Austin (July), Jacks Generic Sprint at Lake Pflugerville (August), Kerrville Sprint (September).

WEIGHTLOSS: I'm focusing on eating healthier and have been counting my calories. I retired from the Army in 2011 and added about 15 pounds that I really don't need.

MY FOCUS: Last year I completed both races, but was not satisified with my swim times. I want to swim faster and still have enough energy to excel in the bike and run events. I want to be able to push myself a little harder. I want to lay the foundation to run an olympic length race in 2016.

John,
Welcome to the group!

Looks like you've jumped in with both feet there. Good 2014 and busy 2015 all set up. I want to commend you on being able to do this with your family. One of the more difficult things about this sport is the time it takes to train, which for most is time lost away from family. Training together is a beautiful thing.

3 daughters? Pilot, diver, or just a really bad person in your youth?


Edited by mikerunkle 2015-02-03 11:52 AM

Name - Tom

Story - I have no race history. I am just starting to train. I don't really have anyone to bounce ideas off of, so I thought a group might be helpful. Right now I am training at the local gym in a pool, spin class and treadmill. The gym has an indoor track and I plan to do some real running once a week. I downloaded a training app for an Olympic distance tri with a race scheduled in May and have been following it for a couple of weeks. I also hope to do my first tri in April to get a feel for them before I do my first "official" tri in May. Both will be sprints, but the April tri has a 1000yd swim which is already making me nervous. I am in presently in North Dakota so outdoor opportunities are off the table for a while.

Family Status - Married with two teenage boys.

Races - I plan to do my first sprint next May and plan to add more dates for the summer next spring. I am more drawn to the faster, shorter distances. I don't think I have the mental capacity to train or participate in the long distance races. I have been thinking about maybe trying a XTERRA this year as well.

Weight Loss - I would like to lose about 10 pounds, but I haven't really thought to much about it. I figure the training will take of it, provided I stick with it.

Any ideas for indoor training?

I think it is payback! After years of being around soldiers, I think someone wanted me punished by giving me girls who don't follow orders but are too cute to punish.

I see that this group is still open. I would like to join but I am definitely a newbie.

NAME: Traci/raycytraci

STORY: When I was 38 I saw the Kona IM championships for the first time and was in awe of the mental and physical strength of the competitors and their back stories. I immediately started researching triathlons and was hooked. Before that I was a couch potato that worked out at the gym occasionally. I did not ever think that that I would do an IM because my weakness is endurance but definitely interested in sprints and olympics. I started training but always got blocked by minor injuries and/or life events. I told myself that I would at least finish one sprint before I turned 40. Alas, that did not happen, but my passion and interest did not wan. Over the years I would start and stop training and eventually I gained so much weight that I lost focus. I am now wanting to be serious and will sign up for 3 sprint triathlons this summer. The first one is June 21st. Yikes!

FAMILY STATUS: Divorced for 11years, no children. But I do have 3 furry children...2 pugs and a 10 month old chocolate Lab.

CURRENT TRAINING: Just started couch to 5K program (again). Once I lose a couple of lbs will start swimming and biking. I bought a treadmill for my home 2 weeks ago and it has really helped my motivation.

THIS YEARS RACES: 3 Sprints this summer.

2014 RACES: None

WEIGHTLOSS: My ideal weight (goal wt) is 56 lbs away.

When you ask indoor training, what type of training are you looking for? If you have a bike, grab a bike trainer. There are a lot of workouts you can do on it that you cannot get on the road. For endurance and heart rate work, you can get a program like P90X or Insanity. Both are great programs and can help you.