Jenny (jsnowash)'s Spring Guinea Pig Group - CLOSED (Page 10)

Dan, that's a really sweet Tempo run.  With a reasonably short recovery period too.  Very nice!   Don't be afraid to go really slow on the recovery bits.  9:15 to 10:00 probably with your speed.  Let that HR come down even more.

Bill

LOL.  Sorry about that, JKJ.  Yes, I live in Florida.  GA in this context means "General Aerobic".  Typically a GA pace is a "just putting in the miles at a moderate pace".  Faster than an EZ pace, but slower than a Marathon Pace.

And yes, I seriously dislike running late.  I am a morning person all the way.

Bill

I think I'm actually a little faster in the evenings than in the mornings. I think my muscles are a little looser and so my legs can turnover better.

Still no running so did 45mins on the trainer last night and was feeling pretty good.

Great work GPs!

Janette - did you ever figure out how to resize those pictures?? itching to see your team finish and your bike!

Agreed - target recovery for me is probably around 9:00/mile.  I walked for a few seconds after each of the tempo intervals and then built speed through the recovery to the next interval.

-Mitch

Mitch, I'm sorry I've been calling you "Dan".  Just assumed from your User Name that your name was Dan Gremond!

Bill

No problem at all - it's all good!

Yes, all you can do is give me the appropriate workouts that you know should help me improve.  But it's up to me to do them and put in the time and effort required.  The place where I swim is a major Aquatic center.  Olympians train there (Dara Torres!).  There are "fishes" everywhere.  And there is a very active Masters swim group that accepts Triathletes.  I've been thinking about contacting them for some Coaching - maybe after Bayshore.

The thing is I was a Waterfront Director at a Boy Scout Camp for a couple of summers when I was in college.  And I got quite comfortable in and around the water.  But I guess there are some underlying stroke flaws that I need to un-learn.  And it has been 35+ years since really doing any kind of swimming.

6 easy-paced miles in 58 minutes this morning.  The legs were quite tired this morning so I took it really slow, especially at the beginning.  It took a good 3 miles to loosen up.  The thing I've always liked about recovery runs (and I considered this one to be that) is that the legs feel better after than before.  That's exactly the idea in doing them.

A swim workout planned for after work.  I'll probably do much like I did on Tuesday.

Bill

I'm okay to water run and I'll be able to work it into my schedule. The only thing is with pool hours so limited, should I split my time in the pool with swimming/running or focus on one at a time?

30 mins on the trainer yesterday just to keep those legs moving. I wanted to do more but the knee was feeling a little tight/sore after physio yesterday afternoon so I quit while i was ahead.

I finished off my Wednesday with a swim at lunch (1200M) and then while my daughter had a soccer clinic I ran some easy laps at the track by the field - 4 miles.  Passed on my 3 mile run this morning and depending on weather and how legs feel I may or may not do it this afternoon.  Have an interval run tomorrow morning and want to be able to hit my paces / times.

What is it with the barfing around here?!  Last week - one kid barfing all night.  Monday night - second kid barfing all night.  Last night - third kid barfing all night.  Why can't the barfing gods come around in the daylight or decide to get the whole family out of the way on one night so I can stay up, clean up and gag only once?!  I have already told my husband that if he is barfing tonight, he is on his own and he better not disturb my sleep - I am in training, after all!!  Sigh ..... I am going to replenish my supply of 7-up, saltines, gloves, masks, and Lysol.  Poor little pumpkins.

I spent the morning spinning and tried a new profile on my class that involved only seated movements until we cooled down when everyone really needed to stand to work out some of the leg.  It took concentration to stay with that for the whole hour.  It was good, but I will be interested to see how the rest of the class feels about the profile.  I am driving to the next town to swim this evening.  There is a lap pool but it is an hour away so I only get there 2 x a week.  I am actually considering swimming in the little reservoir behind our house - just wish I could block out the image of the huge carp I see rolling in there sometimes!

Good day to you and I hope the barfing gods don't visit your house during the night!

Janette

I think sitting is good - sometimes standing can be sort of like cheating.  Its good in my mind to learn how to stay seated and spin (at least from a cycling perspective). 

Jenny,

I like the logo in the bottom left.  I looked for a while at the two at the top, where you and your designer tried to accent the "TRI" in the words, but it doesn't really come across quickly or clearly enough.  So the two at the bottom, that specifically add wording for the Tri training look better.  And from there I just liked the leftmost one better, but they're both good.

Swimming last evening.  950 meters total.  500 to warm up then 4x100m with 30 seconds rest between.  I swam in the big pool again and having 1/2 as many push offs and glides as I woulda had in the little pool, left me with slower times (ugh type times).  Persistence Bill.  Keep at it.

There was a good discussion on the BT "Triathlon Talk" forum yesterday about the Catch Up drill.  So I gave it a shot as I'm pretty sure my in stroke glide is lacking and my pull isn't yet good enough.  But I need to work on it some more as my arm out front wanted to start pulling before the other arm got out there.  More practice at that needed.

This morning I had a good Bike ride - fastest ride ever actually, though at this point that isn't saying much!  17 miles @ 18 MPH.  Take it!

Bill

Happy Friday morning!

Did 2000 in the pool last night and I think I had a major breakthrough!!!  (Not a Dr. Phil-type breakthrough, but I'm sure he would be proud anyway.)

Let me start from the beginning.  When I arrived at the pool, there was nobody there...usually there are a bunch of master swimmers there flying up and down the lanes.  Not last night.  So I had the whole pool to myself for the first 1000 or so.  I concentrated on form and really tried to reach, glide, pull, kick as I've learned.  Lost count a few times, but finished my 2000 at approx. 2 min/100.  That's not a bad time - it's 'comfortable' for me.  And at that pace, I'm fairly confident I can complete my races this year. That said, 2 min/100 also means my form isn't perfect (and I know my legs are too low in the water), but I'm not looking to podium, so I'm resigned to that pace, but I'm ok with it.

Towards the end of my 2000, a few swimmers showed up and in the lane next to me was a woman who was very fast.  She was putting my 'comfortable' 2min/100 pace to shame.  As I finished and went to get a pull bouy for a few extra practice laps, she finished one of her sets and was taking a few seconds rest before her next set.  It was about 5 mins before the pool was about to close and she said, we have time for another 500.  I said, not at my speed, but go for it if you can.

And then out of the blue....she said my stroke is fairly good, but I'm lifting my head out of the water too much as I rotate to breath and that's a big reason why my form isn't perfect and my relative slow speed.  She likened it to someone walking down the street, but instead of walking normally, the person lifts their knee really high every other step which disrupts their pace and slows them down versus the person who is walking normally.  So, I tried a few laps taking her advice, and voila, she was 100% right!  WOW!!!!!!!!!

It was amazing...I think I may have actually achieved 'swimmer's zen' for those few minutes that I've never been able to achieve so far.  As I swam those last few laps, I felt as if I was swimming with a pull bouy.  My legs weren't dragging and I was finally swimming efficiently.  My strokes were more even, my kick was better and I think I used alot less energy as I glided across the water (rather than fighting/powering through the water). YAY!!  It felt great!  

Ok, reality check...there is a huge difference swimming with good form in a pool for a few laps and then being able to do the same in an OWS for a race, but I think I may be onto something.  I'll probably go back to the pool tomorrow to work on that form again...don't want to lose what I just learned.  

So, long story short, HUGE THANK YOU you to the master swimmer who was in the lane next to me last night at the YMCA!!!

Had speed intervals this morning - Ended up doing 6x800M at 5K-ish pace with 400M recoveries.  Was planning to do at track but mentally wasn't ready to run 18 times in a circle.  Below are splits:

 This definitely felt like a hard workout - walked at the end of most of the intervals for about 20 seconds and then started jogging again.  I didn't think my paces were that consistent but looking at above splits I'm pretty happy my speed intervals paces - I was shooting for 7:16.

Jenny - I agree with Bill.  I like the bottom left.  Although, I like the bike rider design better of the upper right.  It seems to stand out more.  Also, thanks for your analogy about baking the cake - that makes so much sense to me.  I am imagining a new running mantra - "Baking the Bundt" 

Brian - congrats on the ah-ha moment in the pool.  Wouldn't it be funny if we had as many really weird hitches in our running technique as most of us beginners have in our swimming stroke?  As for me, I would look like a total spaz running down the street, for sure.  It just seems when I get in the water I lose that sense of body awareness that I think I still have on land (who, knows, maybe I am "all wet" and I am just as mixed up on land!!)

Bill - glad you are enjoying the new bike.  When I got my new road bike, I loved it and I truly expected it to revolutionize my biking times - but, alas, I still needed to pedal hard to get faster.

I spent the morning hour teaching spinning class to two students.    One didn't really want to be there, I think, because she kept stopping and getting off her bike.  WTH - come on girlie, just stay in the saddle and pretend I am making you work.  After class, I thought, "Hell, why did I let her pissy attitude about working affect MY spinning."  So, I jumped on the treadmill at the gym - plugged in my ipod to the PO ( off) list and ran hard for 20 minutes.  I felt better when it was done.  Just a little tantrum, I guess. 

I have a short 5K race tomorrow, a fundraiser for our local CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates).  CASA volunteers represent children in abuse/neglect court proceedings.  Some of my work as an attorney involves representing children who are crime victims or are in foster care.  I have signed up my whole family for this race as a way to support the CASA program, however, I have a sneaking suspicion my husband may bail and leave the race to me and the kids.  The kiddos are signed up for the 1 mile fun run.  If the husband doesn't run, I am going to see what pace I can set for myself rather than just a steady 9 min mile as is our joint running pace.

Have a great weekend, GP's!

Janette

True enough!  But at least now when I pedal hard I'm going 3+ mph faster than I used to on the old bike.

Bill

Okay, I feel like a real dummy, but I can't figure out how to load pictures on this forum.  I have three photos on my computer that I have resized to the small 800 x 600 size.  How do I add them?   I can't seem to find the answer elsewhere so I am just going to ask you guys. 

J.

JayKayJay, you need to upload the pictures out to an internet photo site such as Picasa, etc.  There are many of them.  Then, when you're keying in your post here, click on the little Icon above that looks like a picture of a tree.  It's right between the Anchor and the Paintbrush.  Then copy/paste in the URL of the photo (from Picasa) and Voila!  A picture.

Bill

Thanks, Bill!

Let me see if this works - JayCee, the first is my new aero bars.  I like them mounted with the tips a little more angled up than is recommended, but that feels the best on my forearms.  Second is me race day - slowing for the final turn into the timing chute.  Last is our race relay time.

Janette

Jenny - I like the logos on the bottom left and top right, but on the bottom one I would move the word "fitness" below "InnerDrive".

I have had a bit of a lazy week.  It snowed on Sunday night (we woke up on Monday morning to about 4-5 inches) and there were flurries when I left for work this morning.  This put me in hibernation-mode...

It doesn't help that it is officially confirmed that I won't be running my planned 10k in May. The transfer window closed today at noon, but I've had the feeling all week that I wasn't going to find one. It was so frustrating: would see a post online for a bib for sale and email right away (often the posts were only a few minutes old), only to get a reply that the bib was already sold.

As a result, I took Tuesday and Wednesday "off". Soccer last night helped me get back into the right mind-set, though (it usually does). 

I did get out for a short run today, then hit the pool to swim 950 metres.  I may have done a bit more or less (kept losing track). It wasn't a great swim - our local pools all designate specific lanes for certain paces (leisure, slow, medium, medium-fast, fast).  I usually swim in the medium or medium-fast lanes, depending on the speed of the swimmers already in them.  Today, however, the "medium" lanes each had at least one really slow swimmer in them who kept holding everyone else up (these men were terrible swimmers AND they kept stopping at the wall in the middle of the lane.. grrr.) I couldn't figure out if they just didn't know how slow they were (although given the number of people passing them and ending up right behind them I would think they would have to have been fairly oblivious to miss that one) or if it was just an ego thing. Either way, it was annoying. 

Tomorrow I have a 2 hour soccer "try-out" (although I've managed to talk my way onto the roster for the team at the level I wanted to play on all along, so it will be more of a practice) and then a long run on Sunday. I hope it warms up a bit or the soccer practice will be a bit painful.

Happy weekend, g-pigs!