KVesey's Group - WORKING HARD (Page 10)

I will x4 on the TI swimming. And I think the coach you will start working with will help enormously. Swimming is really all about technique. For what it's worth, here are a couple of my tips:

• To make sure you're breathing out in the water, blow bubbles and blow out with some noise. You should hear yourself underwater exhaling before turning your head to inhale.
• Bi-lateral breathing (breathing to each side on 3 or 5 strokes) is great, but if you find that you don't have enough breath to carry you through, then stick to breathing on one side. I breathe almost entirely to the left. I can bilateral breathe if needed, but find I have a better rhythm if I breathe each full stroke.
• To help raise your hips, think about driving your chest down toward the bottom of the pool. Kind of swimming "downhill," if you will. Don't actually swim toward the bottom of the pool, it's more of a positioning drill. Also, make sure you head is all the way in the water and you are looking at the bottom of the pool (not at the wall across the pool...but do pull your eyes up before you run into the wall. )
• Until you feel fairly comfortable with your stroke, don't worry about swimming laps. Do drills, drills, and more drills. (Your swim coach will certainly give you a lot of those).

As for the century ride: is it a race or a group/club/fun ride? Personally, since you are fairly new to the sport, I would not worry about speed at all. It's not useful unless you have a good endurance base, and without that endurance base, you're likely to get injured. So, I would concentrate on just going the distance. I've done a few half centuries and the MS 150 a couple of times, and they are relaxed and fun with plenty of stops along the way to break the ride up. It can be a really nice way to spend a day. When I was training for IMFL, I rode a couple of 100+ milers by myself and because the intent was different, the tenor of the ride was different with some focus on tempo riding. But, that was after I had been riding a few years and really worked my endurance up to that level.

Right now...I just say have fun with the whole thing. Work on being able to go longer (gradually), work on learning how to swim, and work on making sure you stay healthy and injury free.

Then, there's no reason to do any speed training. Just work on getting the distance and endurance you need.

Well, looks like somebody's racing this weekend...go, Cory, go!

As for me, it's just a longish run tomorrow (~ 9 miles), which I am really looking forward to with it's tempo intervals. Really. Then, another 4-hour ride on Sunday. I have mixed feelings about that. It's going to be hot, and I can't seem to get anyone to join me. I'll be talking to myself a lot.

What's up for everyone else?

Yup good luck tommorow Cory, sounds like it will be a blast

Bwahahaha! You think early in Mississippi makes a difference? I will go early, but it will probably be close to 80 by the time I get started.

Have a great weekend everyone, and stay safe!

Bwahahaha! You think early in Mississippi makes a difference? I will go early, but it will probably be close to 80 by the time I get started.

I am going to do that ride, but not sure I will go for the full century, maybe just the half. They are working on putting something together so folks who want to do just the half can get their bikes back to Byram. Also, don't worry about how other people are riding. There certainly will be the crew of people who hammer the ride, but then, there will also be the rest of the people (like me) who just think it's all good fun and simply enjoy the ride. For me, it will be a road bike ride (rather than the tri bike), which helps reinforce the more laid back approach.

So, it appears that the spring mentor program is officially ending. I feel like we just got started, but it's actually been 4 months. My goodness, time flies.

Anyhoo, feel free to keep this thread going. I will definitely continue to pop in so long as you keep posting.

Congrats on all the successful training and racing and good luck with everything down the line!