Jeff Y's Group - CLOSED (Page 10)

Yup, I second Dirk.  I would take it in for a general tune-up.  You probably need new cables, a good cleaning and tune.  If you have a smart phone, there's an APP called "bike repair" that's awesome.

I am going to be having a long weekend off that will include a lot of training to make up for the workouts I missed last Sunday.  I am cycling today and swimming then tomorrow I have a long run on the agenda and Saturday I have another swim and my long bike.  It looks like I might be able to get off the trainer this Saturday for my long bike because the weather is going to be decent.  Someday when I have some extra pocket change I'm going to have to get some cold weather riding gear.  Right now the weather has been decent on days when I am running or swimming then changes for my rides and I don't really have a lot of flexibility in my routine because the pool times can be atrocious and I really can't shuffle my run days.

Last night tempo run might have taken a bit more out of me than I should have allowed.  My legs are on the stiff side and with everything going this weekend it could be sketchy at worst (I hope).

Agreed.  This is usually caused by the derailleur adjustment being a bit off.  The barrel adjuster is usually at the rear derailleur where the cable enters.  Turn it in or out by hand to center the chain over the gear.  Do the adjustment with the gear on any cog except the top and bottom ones.

there may also be another barrel adjuster near the rear shifter depending on your bike's design.

That's pretty hard core doing your long bike ride just before your 5k race. The fact that you were pre-fatigued probably doesn't change anything regarding your heart rate.  I would say that your LT is likely right there at 170 (that's mine too).

It really doesn't say anything about your max because 174 is too low to have been a max.  You probably just ran through the finish right at your LT without busting it.  (174 isn't low as a max in itself, it's just that 4 beats above your LT can't be your max).

What's your heart rate at your 8:00 training pace?  If it's under 150, then it's OK...especially since you describe being able to carry a conversation.

Jenna, what are you looking for in tires?  Or asked another way: what will you use these wheels for?  And exactly what model are your tubular wheels?

There is a lot to consider when choosing the right tires.

However, as to your question of age, I wouldn't worry.  I have kept tires working for 10 years.  Until they actually, literally begin cracking on the rubber tread or have threads showing they are still good.

Tires can get a lot older than most people realize and still be good.

heart rates are highly personal.  If you can carry a conversation on your slow runs, and at the same time feel subjectively comfortable, then you are fine.  Test your max HR again, it may have changed, but 193 seems entirely normal.

176 is quite believable as your LT....but if your average HR at 8:30pace is 173-175 and your LT was supposed to be 176 you should be saying that an 8:30 pace is pretty much your 5k race pace...Yes?

Yeah...I would say that's probably correct.  I haven't run a 5k in a while though....my last sprint I think I pulled in just under 8:30 for the run if I remember.

My HR for 8:00 miles would be 147-151 for the most part.  This would put me in a Z3 training area for nearly all of my runs but it certainly doesn't feel like it is taxing my body at all.  At a 7:50-8:00 mile pace it seems like I could run all day long.  Well, as long as I have some calories coming in every once in a while.

Probably the biggest thing I can think of would be the shoes that you would like to wear.  You have to make sure the pedals are compatible with your shoes.  I have a pair of Shimano SPD's the I like a lot.  They are the cheapest version I could get without breaking the bank.  (I am always on a shoestring budget.)

Benefits include a better transfer of power from your legs to the pedals and drivetrain.  If you use running shoes and traps you lose power because the soft cushioning from the shoes absorb some of the power in your legs causing you to have to work harder to get the same power output.  I don't think it is something you are going to really notice unless you ride clipless for a while and then go back to traps and running shoes.

How long did it take to get to this point?

I think zone 3, particularly the lower end, is definitely an all day sort of pace once you have a reasonably high fitness level - which you clearly do.

Benefits over street shoes on platform pedals:

• Probably easier in and out of the pedal (assuming toe straps were used)
• You can pull up on the pedals as well as pushing down (most useful when standing in sprint or climb)
• Your feet won't accidentally come off the pedals (would happen if pedaling 'correctly')
• Feet more comfortable versus toe straps (they cut off circulation)

It warrants a discussion of pedaling technique.  I am of the opinion that it's a wive's tale to suggest that actively lifting the pedal makes you faster (when sitting).  I think that the hip flexor muscles are only designed to lift the leg, not lift heavy weights.  So recruiting those muscles uses proportionally more oxygen per unit of work than pushing down - so the net effect is a loss of available work energy.  And specifically trying to strengthen these muscles to the point they can be of big help will usually cause injury.

What I do believe you should do is to lift with the hip flexor about as hard as it would take to lift the foot off the pedal were you not clipped in.  Therefore, my statement above about the foot coming off the  pedal with the right technique.  You see, without your foot secured to the pedal, you need to keep downward weight on that pedal as it rises to keep the foot from coming off.  That continued downward force robs you of power your other foot is putting in to the other pedal.

Also, when clipped in, you will find it more conducive to lightly moving the foot forward and backward.  That's the "pedal in circles" mantra you may keep hearing....but again, as I've said about lifting...the legs are designed to push, not pull  so the forward, backward, and upward movements are light and not intended to generate power, just avoid robbing it.

Considerations:

• Do you already have clipless pedals or shoes?  Say on another bike?  You probably want them to be interchangeable.
• If you will be racing criteriums, then the pedal's ground clearance matters as well as how easy in it is.
• For triathlons, you may want the shoe/cleat system to facilitate running in them through transition.

Other than that, price is a consideration....but performance isn't.  As far as I know they all perform admirably as long as we are talking about established designs.

The cheapest will be the SPD and the LOOK style systems (also known as SPD-SL).

I use SPD on my mtn bikes and LOOK on my road bikes.

If you do indoor spin classes, they seem to have adopted SPD as their standard. 

Good, then that's your training pace.  No need to slow down.

And to all others here on the thread....that's how all of your non-intense runs should feel.  And you may not be ready for any intentionally intense running yet.  First get to the point where you can feel the way Dirk describes: "seems like I could run all day long"  (except that the legs will get heavy once you've gone a ways...)

So what about those who will say that even the slowest thing they can even call running is harder than that?  I've got good news and bad news.  The bad news is that you have to spend as much time doing that thing that hurts as you can.  As I've suggested before, 5-6 days per week of running is really, really useful in getting there.  The good news is that if you stick with it, you have this to look forward to---ie. the effortless running.

I have been running for about 6 years (2nd season of triathlon this season) so it's hard to remember for certain but it took a long time time.  Obviously years to get to my current training and racing paces.  I think it was about 4 years ago that I started running anything over 3-4 miles and my paces were 9:00-10:00 that far back.  I wasn't able to "run all day" until I spent several months in a 20-25 mpw range, running 3 times a week.

Now, with the smarts I have gained over that time period, I agree with Jeff that you need to spend a long time to get into a zone where you can run for long periods without tiring.  I think the hardest thing to learn is pacing.  I talk to many new runners and they seem to run to fast to soon.  Its not that they are trying to run fast, but that they don't know how to maintain a pace that is sustainable for even 3 miles.  Over time everyone can learn to adapt to proper pacing and I remember being in their shoes.

I have concluded that it's more fun to be in the hunt then drop off than to be off the back, come on like gangbusters only to finish in the middle.   At least there's some respect to be earned to being up front at some point in the race.

Good.  As I was reading some of the other comments I was beginning to wonder if I should be trying to slow down for my long runs.  Now I have a better understanding of what HR training requires and can pretty much apply the same principles I have been using for about a year now.

Long run complete for the week.  Now I have a 3-a-day workout for tomorrow and on Sunday a brick on the agenda. 

The run was planned 12 but I went for 13 instead because I would like to get a couple weeks of 30 mpw before I begin my race taper for the HM.  If I can put off another recovery week for an additional 2 weeks, than I would have a solid 2 weeks for a taper. 

Jeff, What are your thoughts for a HM taper?  How long? And how much should I back down for the bike and swim during those 2 weeks that I have planned?

Dude,....that's awesome.  My HR is 131 when I run across the room!  Congrats on your long run.  Don't forget recovery!