Destination MoP Group is FULL (of motivated life jugglers) (Page 10)

Thanks Yvette,

I joined a triathlon training group in Everett, Wa. a month ago, but have only done the swim portion of the training.  One of my January goals is to stay for the whole session, spinning & running included

 This Sunday I'll ask if they have an indoor tri coming up.  I'll definitely do it if they have one.  It sounds like a real learning experience that can be applied to later events.  Thanks for speaking about your experience.

Ron,
If there's a tri you're thinking about doing, go to the "Races" section of BT. Search for your race, and look for the reviews from previous years. It will give you a good sense of the course challenges, how the race was organized, and general information.
For fun, here's a link to my first race report!

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=174387

-Heidi

Heidi,

Thanks for pointing me to the "races" section, as well as your link to your first race report.
In the run section, you mentioned knee pain.  Where in the knees did you hurt?

After my first run, I got pain in the outside of my knees, but it didn't occur again after taking a couple of days off.  Yesterday, I ran 4.2 miles and today, that pain is there again, though not bad.

I'd like to think that it's caused by the fact that I'm pushing a jogging stroller up hills, and maybe my form is not ideal in this case, since I'm leaning forward & tensing up on the stroller grips with both hands.  I don't know.  Maybe I can talk my wife in to letting me do a few miles this weekend without the stroller to see if I feel o.k. after a "normal" run.

Otherwise, I may need to look into new shoes or getting younger.  We'll see how that goes.

No problem- I love reading race reports from other people.  I think the knee pain I was feeling that day was above the knee.
I was looking at your logs...were you running before you started using the BT logs? If not, the knee pain might be in part from amping up the mileage too fast. I always avoided run with a jogging stroller (because I'm a wimp) but it seems to me that it could contribute to knee pain.
Ultimately, I would say, get new shoes! And, if you haven't been fitted by a running store, it's worth the time and effort. I' recommend "Fleet Feet" if there is one near you. They don't work on commission, and they seem to put  huge effort into training their staff about fittings.
Let me know if you figure out how to succeed with the "getting younger" option...I might be interested in that too.
-Heidi

I was looking at your logs...were you running before you started using the BT logs? If not, the knee pain might be in part from amping up the mileage too fast.

Heidi,

No, it's been a year since I've done more than walk.  I may need to lower my goal of 5 runs per week to 3, but I've allowed for some bike time to replace those runs.  I want to run, since I think I'm pretty strong on the bike, but I peter out quickly on foot.  I'm even worse in the pool.

It looks like there is a "Fleet Feet" store in Seattle.  I'll check them out tomorrow.  Thanks for the recommendation.  There's a "Run26" store a few miles from my house, and they just diagnosed my wife with a pronated stride, and recommended a couple of shoe types for her.

If anyone has any experience with "Run26", I'd love to hear it.

I'll look into that "getting younger" thing, but don't wait too long for the results.

Thanks for the info.

Bike trainer tonight. Yes! Four workouts in a row. Tomorrow doing a long run of 5 miles and some weights. I feel like I'm getting in a groove. Now if only I can work in some time to read posts and contribute to the group! ; )

Phil

I'll stop complaining about the hunting dogs chasing me down on my bike rides :-) 

Hi Ron,
The event is the Azalea Festival tri. I have it linked on my blog page and the actual website is
http://www.setupevents.com/?fuseaction=event_detail&eventID=1566

The swim is in a pool (the one I swim in) so I'm not nervous about that even though I haven't been swimming at all! I think I'm more nervous about the bike since it's been too cold and bad weather to bike here and usually I love running, but recently my feet and right achilles and calf have been hurting.  My nerves are primarily about not getting injured.  I have suffered from too many problems the past few years and now I'm (basically) healthy so I don't want to reinjure anything and potentially kill my tennis season.
My goal for this tri is to have fun, use the sport to get into good overall shape/condition, help me with my competitive instinct, and hopefully get better in tennis. I want to be smiling when I cross the finish line!

Hi Everyone!

Glad to see all the mutual group motivation working.  Phil, nice to see you're getting your groove back ;-)  Ron, speaking from experience, take the time to get those shoes (and if you're not sensing a store that knows what they're talking about, go somewhere else).  Yvette, way to make it to your workout.  Sometimes the key is just getting started / out the door.  I invariably feel better after I'm done.

Had a great bike/swim workout yesterday.  One of the women in our spin class is an amazing triathlete... she's about 50 and is typically in the top 5-10 finishers and just about always wins her age group and/or open masters in the Virginia series races (as does her husband - if they had a couple category, they'd totally dominate!!).  Anyway, she ended up joining my lane in the pool after and we were doing circles with another swimmer and let me tell you, she was pushing the pace.  So it was a great workout and very motivating.  As someone who normally trains solo, I sometimes forget how much fun it is to workout with someone else. 

So, I'm going to give my hamstring another 4 mi relaxed run workout at lunch today. Tonight we're throwing a music party, which we just decided to do yesterday.  Looking forward to some good tunes and fun!

What's in store for everyone else?  Have a great day all you life jugglers!

Stu

Phil,
Mountain lions are tough!
Bike would be a much better option than running! Be safe out there and perhaps stick to daylight hours. Cool picture. Gotta love webcams. Here's one from my neck of the woods:
http://www.surfchex.com/topsail-island-web-cam.php
Have a great Friday everyone! My plan is to do a run, bike, and cardio tennis.
Joanne

Edited by beachprof 2011-01-21 7:33 AM

Hello jugglers!

Topsy turvy week for me. Had to skip my wed night run (1.5 miles, short and fast) because of the baby and rushing her to the doctor (long story, she's fine) so last night I dropped oldest at swim team, but the baby in childcare, dropped middle child at swim lessons and rushed to the workout room and signed up for a treadmill. ALWAYS a line in january.

Anyway, the guy in front of me on the list was a friend and he said, "I have more time than you, go ahead of me" which was so nice because it was 5:35 and I had to get Soph out of the pool by 6. I had to fit in a VERY fast (for me) 1.5 miles but I did it and was happy it got done.

On tap for today- lap swim, then dinner out with girlfriends at a healthy eatery, and maybe yoga before bedtime. Long run Saturday and short run Sunday- and Sunday afternoon (if I find a sitter) I get to join the masters swim group!!! Cross your fingers my sitter works out- I have wanted to join this group for years and off the wait list! HOORAY!

Made coconut sorbet/substitute ice cream last night- if you have an ice cream maker it's super good. I got one for christmas.
basic recipe:
1 can (14 ounces or so) coconut milk
2 C water
2 T agave syrup

mix well and chill.

follow instructions for your ice cream maker; towards end add 1 C unsweetened coconut and chocolate chips (ours are dairy free allergy free mini chocolate chips, semi sweet).

so good! my oldest and youngest ate it, I adored it. The coconut milk makes it seem creamy like ice cream.

everyone have a great weekend-
Anne

Hi Jugglers,

Well, I've been having quite a "down" week.  I've been really tired (I think it's the early mornings), and then I felt like I've put on weight (which I actually think I have, although the official weigh in is saturday) despite making a real effort to eat healthy food in sensible portions, and then I did two separate fitness tests and have got worse since the last time I did both of them.  So all in all feeling rubbish about everything :-(

I know I'm probably just having a bad week, but it's not helping my motivation.  I was absolutely exhausted last night, so having planned to do my short cycle on the trainer and then go swimming with the guys from the tri club, I landed up going to bed early instead.  Not that I had a lazy day exactly.  I did my fitness test first thing in the morning, and then did lunchtime circuits...

I think the weight is just part of my natural up and down.  I haven't exactly put on pounds, but I've gained everything I lost last week.

As for the fitness tests, the last time I did both the time trial and the bleep test I had spent 17 weeks at training school working on my fitness for sprints and short distances.  Since then I've started working shifts, which completely messed up my training for a bit, and then I've been working on endurance, which isn't reflected well by these tests, particularly the bleep test.  I've also only been really working on my training regularly for less than 3 weeks.  So I know I'm beating myself up over stupid things, but I just wanted to share with the group, rather than not posting anything.  Sorry if I'm just having a giant moan...

Anyway, tonight I'm going to do my short cycle on the trainer.  My short swim is getting canned for the week, as today is the last day of my training week, but as previously stated, I do plenty of swimming, and I need to concentrate on the other things.

I was planning an outdoor cycle on the road bikes tomorrow morning with one of the guys from the tri club, but the frost has continued - hence no cycling to work :-( - so I may be going out with husband and friend on mountain bikes.  There are loads of old railway lines around here that have been turned into bridleways, which are great for easy mountain biking.  So hopefully I'll get out either way.

Hope everyone's week continues well.  Everyone who's posted seems to be doing great. :-)

Rach
x

Hi all,
Phil- that's a scary sight. I grew up on a farm/mountain, where we've had bears and coyotes. There was rumor of a mountain lion, but I never saw it. My general rule of thumb is to avoid large animals whenever possible.

For those of you struggling with getting everything in; hang in there. Do what you can. Try to remember that a 20 minute run is better than no run at all, even if you were planning for 40 minutes.

Hi Rach,

First off, so sorry to hear you are having a down week.  No two ways about it, those are tough to get through.  Hopefully, you'll wake up tomorrow and feel more refreshed.

If you have a chance, take a gander at this article on the importance of rest.  In looking at your logs, it looks like you're not one to schedule in much rest.  While that is admirable, don't underestimate the need to take a break now and then to recovery both physically and mentally.  I'm guessing there might be another person or two in this group who also pushes, pushes, pushes.  90% of the time, that drive is a good thing, but sometimes it can keep you from really doing your best, because of the need for rest and recovery.

The weight will come, or as Anne mentioned, it will get redistributed... especially with the strength training you're doing, that is not surprising.  While I track my weight fairly regularly, I've learned to be pretty forgiving to myself about a bad week because sometimes, well, you just have a bad week.  Just keep doing the good stuff - eating healthy and exercising.  Hang in there!

Stu

Thanks Stu,

You're absolutely right that I need to rest.  I do try to work it in, but sometimes not as much as I should.  And of course my husband manages to do loads more than me, which makes me feel like I'm just being lazy...  I just have to remember to judge my abilities by my standards, not anyone elses!

This next week is my "recovery" week on my training program, so I'll be trying to keep it nice and gentle with lots and lots of sleep :-)

Rach

Rachel,
It sounds like your rest week is coming at the perfect time! It's so hard to give yourself time to rest, when you want to keep going.

I had a crash course in the importance of diet today.I ate horribly all day yesterday and today. No fruits and veggies- all carbs and sugars. Today i went for a 30 minute run, and I was doggin it the whole way. It was a bad scene. My heart rate was sky rocketing, my legs felt like anchors, and it was not pleasant!

So, in the category of "Learn from my mistakes"- the lesson today is, eat healthy for best results!
-Heidi 

Need... coffee... I'm getting too old for the day after parties, but that was some good music last night and a nice celebration for our daughter before she heads back to school.  I think I played for 4 hours - can I put that in the training log?  hmmm... no, I thought not :-)  Also, like Heidi, maybe not the best nutrition last night either.  Gosh, what kind of example are we setting, Heidi?
 
This quote from Rach should be another MoP/Juggler mantra:

I just have to remember to judge my abilities by my standards, not anyone else's!

How true, how true! 

Okay... coffee sounds like it is ready... happy juggling everyone!

Stu

P.S.  Anyone else on here old enough to remember the guy who kept all the plates spinning on Ed Sullivan?  This is for our group.

Good Morning MoP!
Thursday turned out to be a rest day for me because I was slammed at work and also had a horrible headache so I didn't make it to the pool. But, yesterday I rebounded with a nice 7.2 mi run at the beach and at mi 6.5 all of a sudden I had a sharp pain in my left knee which made me walk for a little bit, but I finished strong and this morning it doesn't hurt. I wanted to bike this morning/noon, but it's now snowing (yes, third time this winter in southeastern NC! We are having record low weather this winter) with a windchill of 22 so I hope I don't procrastinate by not going to the gym to ride the bike there and maybe then do some weights. Tomorrow will be a swim if I can fit it in between tennis matches. If it stays like this then tennis will be rescheduled. This is the time of year when you have to be flexible and yet not blow off the alternatives which is tough. Plus, there's the Australian Open and NFL to watch!  I have tons of work on my plate too so I have to balance things carefully without taking life too seriously.
As others have mentioned, I too am getting frustrated with my weight. I've been working really hard and yet I haven't dropped a pound, in fact I gained 1.5 this week.  I'm trying to look at the big picture and not worry about it, but I have to wear a bathing suit in public to do a tri and my self consciousness is at a pretty high level (always has been). I need to get out the measuring tape and check it once a week. Let me add that to my plan....
Stay warm everyone and have a fun weekend.
Joanne

Lost .6 this week.  Hmm, me thinks the little treats I wasn't counting added up.  I missed 2 swims this week due to weather, too.  Too much time at home is not a good thing for my eating.  I'm going to make my shopping list along with a plan for some meals ASAP.

OH my, Y'all, it is a windcuill of 4 here.

I am so not running outside today. It just reached 14 at 3:00, and the windchill is brutal. I have been running children around all morning and am tossing the run for a long bike on the trainer in my WARM basement. THe husband is heading out for a run. Good luck to him.

For the next 24 hours, I will have a 23 YO, a 20 YO, an 8 and a 4 year old living with me. My nephew is moving up from Tx, and moving in with us today. My daughter is here tonight, then goes back to school tomorrow. So, one leaves, and one comes in.

This weekend is turning out to be a wipe out for training. I'm having some significant pain in my foot at one of the old fracture sites. I think I went too much on the indoor track the other day, and I'm feeling the results. So, no run for me. Ice and elevate as much as possible. I'll try to work out tomorrow, if it is feeling better. I did finally go get the VFF today- hoping that helps with some of the stress related issues I have on my feet.

Hi Gang!

Yesterday got away from me, so I'm calling it a rest day.  I head into work in a few minutes, so just stopping by the jugglers to see how folks are doing today.  I understand that it is unbearably cold up north (and it's not exactly balmy in Virginia either).  Anyway, I've got to get in an hour+ workout today to hit my 7 hour goal.  And my weight is at least headed in generally the right direction to hit my end of month goal of under 200.  But I've bounced off 200 lbs 3 or 4 times already in the last few months, so I will need to have a very focused week coming up to hit that goal.

How is everyone else progressing on the goals they set?  If you're on track - fantastic!  If you're not, what is your plan for next week? 

Stu

Our daughter heads out to school tomorrow too.  Is your nephew staying with you for the long haul?  Good to pay attention to the foot... ack.  Healing thoughts headed your way Heidi.

Thanks Stu for reminding me to reflect on my goals.  Looking back on the week I have done great with my goals (be flexible but don't skip workouts and don't eat after 8). I sure hope I keep it up and I credit this group for keeping me motivated and on track. I also happened to find an awesome sale yesterday at Omega Sports (a local NC store I think) and got myself a new pair of running shoes!  Let's hope this reduces the pain.
Going to the pool today and then immediately to tennis even with the cold weather.
Hope everyone has a great day.
Joanne