Jim Kelley's (aka Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN)

Hi Steve and welcome to the group!  How this works is very simple...come to this thread for general discussions, asking questions, meeting others, etc.  It is totally free form and the success of the group depends on everyone contributing.  Even if its just to report on a great training day, or a bad one.  Its supposed to be a supportive atmosphere so don't be afraid to ask questions...the only dumb questions are the ones that don't get asked.  As we get more members in the New Year I will put together a table of members and embed it in the thread. 

Happy New Year Josh and welcome.  Please post a brief bio of yourself and endurance background so I have a better feel for your situation.  We'll wait until we get a few more members before we start detailed discussions, but feel free to ask any questions.

Welcome to the group Tim!  I've raced Pigman HIM a few times in your neck of the woods...always seems to be a furnace on race day there.  You will enjoy Racine 70.3.  I've raced there several times as well...both before and after it become an MDot branded race.  I qualified for the 70.3 World Championship the last time I raced there, although I ended up not making the trip to race there.  Business travel always presents a challenge and I'd be happy to share my experiences with trying to train on the road.  Thanks for joining us!

S

Steve!  Glad you are joining the group again for 2016.   Looking forward to helping you build on the success you had in 2015.  It will be nice to have a "veteran" in the group as well.  Happy New Year

I've heard great things about Pgman from a lot of people. I may end up doing the sprint distance this year but I'm committed to doing Dam to Dam the day before with the Mrs. 

I'll definitely be at the Des Moines tri and planning on Copper Creek at the end of June as well. There's a lot of great local races. 

I know we're not formally into the mentor program yet, but I actually have two questions that were honestly part of how i found this forum in the first place. Sorry if I'm jumping the gun a little bit. 

• Question 1: What are some tips for fueling before morning workouts? I'm typically at the pool at 5am 3-4 days per week...which means getting out of bed at 4:30am and heading straight to the gym. I usually eat a Stinger Waffle or mini bagel on the drive there, but it doesn't feel like enough, especially when I run afterwards. Any thoughts?

• Question 2: How do you train through illness...or do you? It's that time of year where colds are running around and with a 4 month old at day care and a school teacher wife, I just bounce from cold to cold. Do you push through the cold and just make it happen or is this a time where I need to dial back or pause completely?

No worries on asking questions early...I figure newcomers will be able to read the first couple of pages of posts to catch up pretty quickly.

Fueling for morning workouts actually begins right after the previous day's workout.  This is especially important for longer workouts.  Once you finish a workout there is about an hour period that is optimal for replacing glycogen stores that you just used up during your workout.  If you do not quickly and adequately replace those stores by eating carbs (with some protein) you will not set yourself up well for your next workout...especially if its going to be a longer one.  During periods where you are logging more training hours it may be beneficial to do a "protein shot" later in the evening to aid in recovery as well.  That might be something as simple as a scoop of whey protein mixed in milk or water.  Fueling for an early morning workout is definitely going to be a personal matter as everyone has differences in what they can tolerate close to a workout.  Something simple to digest is obviously best.  Ideally, you would eat breakfast 2-3 hours before a long workout but if you are doing a very early workout that isn't too practical.  Eating a banana, boiled potato, or something easy to digest is best in situations where you want a snack before a workout.  Taking in some sport drink right before the workout should help as well.  Having said all of the above, I think many people go overboard when it comes to fueling for shorter workouts.  Unless you are exceeding workouts of 2+ hours you should be able to get by with minimal fueling.

As for training thru illness it all depends on the nature of what you have.  If its the flu where you may be suffering some mild dehyration due to GI issues it would probably be best not to try to train through it.  A day or two isn't going to make a big difference in the big scheme and training through it may set you back even more than if you hadn't.  If its more of a head cold situation you can probably train through it but perhaps keep the intensity down so you don't prevent your body from fighting the cold.  Keeping hydrated will be important.  Washing your hands frequently will reduce the likelihood of catching what's floating around during the flu season. 

hmmmmm....that's a topic we will definitely be addressing in this thread. 

It would be difficult to carry over that same end of season fitness through the winter and be ready at the same level for your first races of 2016.  Something would have to give at some point - you have to take a mental break.  But you're right, you don't want to lose all of that fitness over the winter.  I'm a firm believer that the winter should be used to address weaknesses and also to build strength on the bike.  This can be accomplished with very few hours which helps keep your mental state fresh instead of logging lots of slow hours on the trainer during winter which will burn you out before spring barely hits. 

Cold weather running is all about the right clothing choices.  I've been a xc ski racer most of my life so racing/training in cold weather is something I embrace. Keeping the legs and "the boys" nice and warm helps.  I've had a couple of pairs of Hind Arctic Drylete tights for over a decade and they are simply the best I've ever used.  If its not super cold they will be ok by themselves.  A polar jock is a great way to provide protection from the wind.  If its super cold I'll also put a base bottom layer of Craft thermal underwear on underneath.  Craft has excellent base layer clothing for top and bottom with versions that have wind protection liners on the outside as well.  The Gunde short they have is one of my favorites.  For the hands I usually use my xc ski race gloves for running as well.  My favorite brand/model is the Toko Arctic Split Mit.  Swix xc ear muffs are great for wearing under a hat.  Finally, if its very cold and windy I will put a film of Dermatone on my face to prevent wind burn/frostbite.  All of this reminds me of a xc race north of Duluth about 10 years ago.  As we were driving up to the race the car thermometer read minus 40 F (real temp not wind chill).  They delayed the start of the race until it "warmed up" to minus 20.  Luckily it was a calm day or they probably would have cancelled. 

Yeah, we've definitely had a very mild winter so far up here in NW WI...not great for xc skiing so far.  But a big change is on the way....Sundays high is supposed to be ZERO.

So let's talk about XC skiing as a part of training. I've been a downhill skier (telemark technically) for a long time, but I've never ventured into XC. There's some good, groomed trails near by and I've been seriously considering getting some skis and trying it out. I assume like most outdoor sports, I'm going to enjoy it purely because it's fun...but as it relates to training, do you see adding in XC skiing as a benefit?

Absolutely.  XC skiing is one of the most demanding endurance sports due to the requirement of strength and endurance.  Many of the top triathletes in our area are also xc racers in winter.  I have heard many triathletes on some forums say that they've had some of their best seasons after a winter of a lot of xc skiing.  The crossover from skiing to biking (especially skate skiing) is great and the fact that xc is low impact is a huge plus.  Plus its a good change of pace mentally.  I'm not saying one can qualify for Kona by incorporating xc skiing but I think it would be a great way to improve strength and endurance.  Let me know if you have more specific questions about xc

Originally posted by StevenC

Originally posted by Birkierunner

Originally posted by Wingspan

Originally posted by Birkierunner  I've been a xc ski racer most of my life so racing/training in cold weather is something I embrace. 

So let's talk about XC skiing as a part of training. I've been a downhill skier (telemark technically) for a long time, but I've never ventured into XC. There's some good, groomed trails near by and I've been seriously considering getting some skis and trying it out. I assume like most outdoor sports, I'm going to enjoy it purely because it's fun...but as it relates to training, do you see adding in XC skiing as a benefit?

Absolutely.  XC skiing is one of the most demanding endurance sports due to the requirement of strength and endurance.  Many of the top triathletes in our area are also xc racers in winter.  I have heard many triathletes on some forums say that they've had some of their best seasons after a winter of a lot of xc skiing.  The crossover from skiing to biking (especially skate skiing) is great and the fact that xc is low impact is a huge plus.  Plus its a good change of pace mentally.  I'm not saying one can qualify for Kona by incorporating xc skiing but I think it would be a great way to improve strength and endurance.  Let me know if you have more specific questions about xc

can I substitute surfing for those of us who are snow challenged? although the mountains have been getting dumped on recently. may have to take a drive.

only if you figure out a way to mount a treadmill on the board

What's on tap for the weekend?

Now that I kicked the cold, it's back to more focused training...

Hour and a half bike ride on the trainer Saturday afternoon (while watching some Iowa State basketball), Swimming Sunday morning followed by my weekly indoor rock climbing with a group of friends.