Gary's Mentor Group - Re-OPENED for Training (Page 108)

Nice job!!! Way to go!

As for me I am hoping to restart training tomorrow with an easy ride. My official plan starts on Monday so hoping that even if I don't make tomorrow I will ready for Monday.

Hey all!

I am feeling better and will ride on the trainer tonight to get back into things. Went to dinner last night and then saw the new Star Trek movie (very good IMHO). Yesterday worked outside in the heat and it just about put me down for the count. Will probably start morning running again to try for cooler temps.


Hope all of the Dads are having a great Fathers day!

Well didn't make it out for a long ride yesterday but did run this morning with my mom and dad. Short run of 6 miles before going to church with the family. May go ride this after noon but it is kinda nice to be lazy for once so I don't know if I will or not. Even if I don't I logged 68 miles this week so not too bad.

Happy Father's Day to all the great dads out there!

All,

Workouts started this week but swimming will be lacking for a few more weeks. My first run was a little tough but my ride last night (on trainer) went well. A bit sore but things are looking good finally. How is everyone doing?

Kind of a slow week for me not much going on. Ran 12.5 miles Wednesday morning but not much activity since. Planning on a 40 mile ride tomorrow if the weather holds out. Getting down to the wire though only 8 weeks until my first tri. Making hotel and travel arrangements this next week.

Yesterday was supposed to be my long ride but between my daughters track and field meet and 7 hours on the road to pick up my niece that didn't happen. I did replace it with a 3 miles moon run. Love running when there is a full moon. Good run but I am sore from this week. Hoping to get my ride in today.

Well got a 24 mile ride in today. I experimented with some homemade nutrition. Not for the faint of heart but it does work. 1 tablespoon of pure honey and 1/2 teaspoon of salt mixed in 33 oz of water. Doesn't taste the best but it does get the job done. It was close to 90 today and it kept me from cramping and bonking. Rode hard the first half and backed off a bit the second. Averaged 16 mph for the first 12 miles. And did some steep big ring climbs. Also worked on transitioning. Set one up in my driveway and practiced T1 and T2. All in all a good training day.

Hi guys,
Just wanted to encourage you guys to come over and join the TDF challenge again this year. Had a great time doing it last year and would love to see you guys over there.

Hope all is well. I am pretty much stuck to lurker status but I think of you guys often. One day this will be my life again and sooner rather than later but it's just not completely in the cards right now. I'm working on it though and joining the TDF challenge is a step in the right direction.

Hope to see you guys there,

Shelly

Not much happening this week it has been crazy at work and with the kids being at VBS all week. I haven't had time to do anything which is not good. I have about seven weeks until race day. Hopefully I can get kids down tonight and maybe go for a short run. My hours at work have changed again to meet business demands so I now go in at 5 and leave at 5. I am not really in the mood to do much after I get home. I have to figure something out though.
Hope everyone else is being more productive than me. Lol!

Hey all!
Well I have been getting workouts in but very little swimming. Thru the end of July my swimming will be limited due to pool hours. After my early august vacation I will need to hit the swimming hard. Hot and humid (like most of the country) but its a good workout. Got on the road today with the bike, lately everything has been on the trainer and felt good. Not great numbers but a nice hour ride.

Shelly, I am probably too late to join the TDF challenge and my miles are going to be limited for awhile but will check it out.

5 mile run this morning before it got too hot. Still hot and humid but a good run.

First, two workout day in awhile with a quick swim at lunch and 3+ around the LSU lakes.

Happy 4th all!!


Got a ride in this morning, 9am and by the 30min mark I was sweating big time due to the heat. Good ride but a bit warm.

Take Care!

Hey all! Hope everyone is doing well and training hard.

I am starting to get nervous about my race. I have a 4-1/2 hr time limit for an Oly distance. I have this far been able to ride 26 miles in about 1-1/2hrs and I feel confident about a 50min 10k to finish. I am really worried about the swim. I have completed 11000yd swim in 40 minutes but that was not straight thru. I took a few brakes between sets. How much will the adrenaline help push me? Any tips for transitions? Any advice at all?
Thanks for the support and insight.

Practice your transition!! Most important thing to do.
A few tips though: put your chain in the small chain ring to make starting off easier. Stack your stuff so you don't forget things in the heat of transition (socks on top of shoes, sunglasses on helmet, that type of thing). Some people stop and rest in transition, DON"T unless you absolutely have to, I prefer to get on the bike and take it easy the first mile (from swim to bike) or from bike to run put your stuff on and walk.

Smile when you cross the finish line!

Hey all!
Been a busy time here. Getting back into running shape but I have found that I am about 8 lbs heavier then I want to be so trying to go back on a diet. 6 mile run around LSU lakes in the rain. Slow run but a good one.

Picked up a new router for the house and it flies compared to the old one. Unfortunately our flat panel TV died after only 2 yrs. I think I figured out the part that went dead and ordered a new one on ebay. For $30 its worth a try (only a two serviceable parts on the TV so I have a 50/50 shot at this one). If it doesn't work it means a new TV this weekend and will order the other part. Looks like no TV for me for a week unless I use one of the computer monitors (only have a HDMI connector setup and too much work to try to run a DVI connector).

Practice your transition!! Most important thing to do.
A few tips though: put your chain in the small chain ring to make starting off easier. Stack your stuff so you don't forget things in the heat of transition (socks on top of shoes, sunglasses on helmet, that type of thing). Some people stop and rest in transition, DON"T unless you absolutely have to, I prefer to get on the bike and take it easy the first mile (from swim to bike) or from bike to run put your stuff on and walk.

Smile when you cross the finish line!

Thanks Gary!
I have been practicing transitioning some. Every ride I have done in the last month I have practiced dismount. I have road cycling shoes so it is a little tricky but I can manage to get my feet out while I come into transition. I spent a little time just practicing T1and T2 the other day. I ran through them a couple of times and played around with how I wanted to set up my transition space. I am going to have to find a bright colored towel to put down just to help me find it in the heat of the race.
I have been seeing some improvements on my bike and run here lately too. I am up to doing a 12.5 twice a month and a 34 mile ride twice a month with smaller runs, rides and swimming in between. This weekend will be a big swim weekend though. My friend is training for a swift water rescue course for the fire dept. and has asked if I would join him in a training session in the pool this Saturday.

Very cool on the swim training this weekend, good luck. One tip, if you get to pick your rack for transition look for landmarks you can use to find your bike like trash cans, trees, etc. Once you rack your bike and get setup, go to where you would be coming in from the swim and run to your bike. Afterwards do the same for coming in from the bike and going out the run. It helps.

Got a quick swim in yesterday and a trainer ride. Getting ready to head out for a run but its still upper 80's and very humid and near 9pm. Another slow hot run.

Where is everyone else?

Hi Gary

Would like to join your group if I can. Not planning on doing any races *this* year, but targeting early next season for my return to the sport. Here's a bit about me:

Name, age, etc.: Chris, 44,
family info: married and father of 3 children in varying states of health (none that are obese or anything--they range from the musician who won't eat right to the competitive gymnast).
tri history: did countless triathlons between 2002 and 2007 including 2 Ironmans (Lake Placid in 2004 and 2007). Favorite distance is full Iron but my wife views it otherwise, so I plan to mitigate downward, settling for oly or 1/2. 2007 tore me up and I took what was supposed to be 1 year off (to handle job concerns, injuries, etc.). Ended up in seminary and slowly quit exercising completely. Tried last year to do a sprint with my oldest (the musician) but when she bailed, so did I.
current training: just trying to get back into the swing of things with a consistent, general fitness program consisting of cycling, running, and weights. Getting to the pool is currently too much (it's 30+ minutes from home) but planning to start swimming around about December or January.
Goals: lose weight! I was 165-ish at the finish of my last IM. I'm not around 230--and feel sluggish and defeated. Also want to get back into the sport I love. Manage stress better (I'm currently employed as both a software developer and an associate pastor and the kids are all teens (2 girsl/1 boy) so stress comes fast and furious in my life)
What I hope to get here: Encouragement and camaraderie. Someone to kick my butt when I need it.
What I bring to the table: Encouragement and camaraderie--and a sense of humor. I've been here before. I was almost 240lbs when I first started into triathlon thanks to some friends of mine. I KNOW what it takes and I KNOW I can do it--I have before!

That's what I got...do you have questions for me?

-Chris

Chris - Welcome!!!

Chris, great to have you in the group!

Welcome Chris.

Sounds like we have a good bit in common. I too am 44, mother of three- 1 boy, 2 girls (older two are 20,21 though and baby is 11) did some tri's and now have pretty much fallen off the tri wagon. I tend to be lurker status in the group right now, but I really am trying to get back on track and am trying to check in more. I haven't stopped working out just can't fit the swimming in so tri's are ruled out until I do. I've also only done sprint tri's though and that's all I'll most likely ever do. Have heart issues and cardiologist won't approve longer distances. Dh is a stickler about me following cardiologist rules so btw the two there's no room for compromise- not that I'm complaining. I can't imagine that level of endurance.

I could use some butt kicking too, so glad to have you in the group.

Shelly

Shelly:

Thank you for sharing your story. I hear you about time...I'm going to be getting up really early to support the swims (true training starts in January), but it's worth it (or so I keep telling people).

As far as the endurance, I'm pretty much done with long distances. My bil is an anesthesiologist and an AVID triathlete who's done sever IM distance races as well--and found out about 5 years ago that he had a heart issue too--and was told the same thing just as he and my sister had their first child. I remember him struggling with not being able to do anything longer than sprints and when he asked my opinion (mistake usually--I'll give it) I simply pointed at my niece and asked him what *she* would think. After that he started doing research on the effects of long distance racing and discovered that repeated distance racing damages your heart--and that endurance athletes that go long have just as much chance of having a heart attack as a smoker. So short distance is good (and he agrees--and still races with my sister and I believe even my niece now).

Butt kicking...I won't do that until I'm WAY more consistent with my own workouts...I will encourage though.

-Chris

oye...only one push of the button is required. sorry for the double-tap

Edited by cmkujawa 2013-07-12 12:05 PM

Well got a short hard run in today. Only two miles but at well above race pace. 1st mile was 7:20 and second was 7:40. Not too bad for a guy who 10 moths ago barely finished 1 mile in 9:30.

I hope that everyone had a Great Friday!