TexasMPGal's Motivated Mentor Group (CLOSED- TRAINING IN PROGRESS!) (Page 11)

You bet.  Just giving ya a hard time!  

I'm a warm weather wimp.

I hate tempo runs.

Just thought I'd share.   Sometimes I'd prefer to ignore them, even though I know their good for me.  I have to really work up the motivation to go do it.  Lately I've been using the "It'll make you better at Boston" and "it'll make you an IM" and that helps a lot...Also, not telling my friend who coaches me/does my schedule that I skipped a workout for no reason is good pressure.  Then, I think of something to reward myself if I finish it like I should.

So, what part of training is the hardest for you? 

What do you do to motivate yourself to get out there?

I have yet to do a tempo run.  I keep blowing them off.  Wednesday is my tempo run day and for whatever reason, it never works out!

I think the hardest part of training for me is getting out the door.  A lot of times, I just don't want to take the first step to get outside.  Of course (usually) as soon as I take that first step, I am glad I did. 

Also time management is very hard for me. Trying to fit training into my life as a mom and wife can be challenging. 

I think the single most thing that motivates me is when I train, I feel SO much better about myself.  I am in a better mood and it is such a great feeling of accomplishment to run farther or faster than I ever have before.  I love the fact that other people look at me like I'm nuts for running in the freezing cold or pouring rain.  But when you find that one person who understands....redeeming!

The hardest thing for me to do in my training is the more skill based workouts. That includes the strength training,  core work, drills in swimming and I still really have no idea what a tempo run is or really what intervals are. I think that is the main problem with all of that stuff. I really don't understand what I'm supposed to be doing. I've read the descriptions and have internalized things in my head but somehow it doesn't translate to my body. Like today for instance:

(from my training plan) 

Speed
Strength
40
WU: 10' WU includes 4x20" strides.
MS: Then 20' tempo run at LT or 5k could be substituted.
CD: 10' Stretch when done and add in Core 1, 2 or 3. 

What am I really supposed to do? Warm up? I usually walk about .25mi then stretch. Strides?

Tempo..? 5k pace? I really don't know what my 5k pace is. I know all of this is supposed to make me faster and It's time for me to go beyond base building this year. 

How do I motivate to do it? Like Erica, I feel so much better when I get out and get started. Last year I blew off most of the strength, skill stuff because I didn't really know what I was doing and really I just needed to learn how to swim bike run!  I really enjoyed the concrete progress I could see from day to day. This week, I've been doing my strength and core work so that is a start. Just doing it. 

X2. I am so slow that any intervals would be walking or dog paddling.

I hear you on learning the specifics of this sport we enjoy.  It's funny because I get decent results, but I'm no coach and when it comes down to specific mechanics, I'm no expert.  Last year, in training for my marathon, I never ran at specified paces or HRs, I just ran. It wasn't until I started some of the HIM training that I realized that there were some more specific ways to improve and vary training.  Varying training is important because it helps your muscles adat to different situations.  I'm going to go backwards here, and today (during my lunch break), give you some things I've learned about the run and why things like warm up, tempos, strides, and intervals are important.  Caveat this--again, I'm no scientist or expert.  These are things I've picked up from others and observed myself.

Warm up:  For runs that you are going to do at a higher level of intensity (tempo, intervals) a warm up is important because it helps get your body "going" before you jump into the intense portion.  It should be a running warm up.  Example, yesterday I had a 5 mile tempo run on tap, which for me means I needed to strive for a 7:00-7:20 min/mile pace...just jumping into that is hard, so I did a 1/2 mile warm up (and if I had more time, might have done a mile) at about an 8-8:15 pace to get my legs going.  Warm ups help prevent injury when you do intensity workouts, thus why you should actually run them, just at a slower pace.  Cool downs can be running or walking.  Honestly, I walk my cool downs after tempo/interval runs...cause I'm beat!  The cool down is just a time you let your heart rate go down before plopping into a heap and doing some stretching. 

Tempo runs: these are runs that you do at you do, in laymen terms, at a hard "race pace."  They are shorter than the race you've prepared for and don't typically (for Age Groupers) last for more than 5-6 miles.  Race pace training isn't easy...at least not for me. Race day adrenaline is pumping and you've tapered appropriately and are ready to run.  Now, training, you don't get that adrenaline, it's during the middle of the workout week, so you're not really rested, and so they are tough.  But, by getting some tempo runs in, you help your body prepare for that race day speed, and possibly, when the adrenaline is added, you will go even faster than perceived.  It also helps train the heart, lungs, muscles to work at this level.  If you are training for a 5k, then doing a 1-2 mile tempo run will help.  If you're training for a 1/2 marathon or Marathon, you should have some 3-6 mile tempo runs (with warm up as additional mileage).  These workouts are meant to PUSH you and challenge you and hurt (not injury hurt, but more like "I think I want to throw up" hurt).  They do take you out of your comfort zone levels.  You DO NOT have to be fast to do tempos.  Fast is relative to the individual.  If your easy run pace is, say, 10:30s and your race pace is 9:00-9:15, then your tempo runs should be around that race pace...or as close as possible.  This makes you put a harder effort out.

Strides: I didn't have a CLUE what strides were when they first showed up in my schedule, but I became a big fan of them.  Strides are nothing more than 30secs at your 5k or tempo speed.  These can be done during your medium to long runs, and should be somewhere in the middle of your runs.  By doing, for example, 6-8 strides where you run hard for 30 secs, then back to normal pace for 30secs - 1 min, and then stride again, you are helping your body with pushing the heart rate up some more during a fairly comfortable pace run--this is important because you're going to have that happen in a race, whether it's just normal adrenaline, or the adrenaline you pick up when you pass people cheering for you, or you are speeding by an aid station cause you don't need anything at it and want to avoid others, it helps your body adapt to some of that.  ADDITIONALLY, you usually get into proper running form when you do strides.  You will pick up your cadence and make your turnover greater, which in turn makes you faster.  The better your form is, the easier it is to go faster with less effort.  Strides help with this.

Intervals: These are tough too, though I think the tempos are harder and I hate them more.  Intervals between our tempo and strides.  They are your speedwork.  Even for long races, like 1/2 and full marathons, speed work is important because it helps work your muscles and heart learn how to operate at a higher level of intensity.  As you become more comfortable at that higher level of intensity, you get faster.  The good thing about intervals is that you do get some breathers in there, and you can really focus on hitting that quick pace, get in some good form, and challenge the body.  Again, you don't have to be "fast" to do these, but you do have to be willing to push yourself hard with them.  Speedwork does help you get faster at short and long distances.

I do want to caveat that you, just like with mileage, have to build up to the intensity of it in order to avoid injury.  Maybe you just do a couple of intervals for maybe 1/2 a mile to start, or just a couple of strides in the middle of your 3 mile run.  Don't jump in too fast and get hurt!!

One of the reasons these things are good for running is because people get stuck in pace ruts.  They keep going the same pace regardless of the distance they are covering, and then they wonder why they don't get any faster.  Well, just like building endurance requires more mileage, building speed requires pushing out of that comfort pace.  As you build upon it, you will find that the time you can spend in that more intense pace extends in length and your previous "easy pace" or "normal" pace should become faster as you can hold a faster pace for a longer period of time. 

Hope this helps!  Questions?

X2! This is great Brittany. You have summarized all of the confusing bits I've read into a concise comprehensible explanation. Thanks!!!!

If you want to see a bit of pig show video,  http://www.flickr.com/photos/8294408@N03/3238296708/

Thisis some of what I'll be doing for the next few days.

Oh my gosh was I laughing so hard on this one.  Here at Ft. Hood we work with DACPs- Dept of the Army Civilian Police cause there are not enough of us MPs to do the Police job and Combat job.  So, apparently a few years back, a DACP crashed one of the Squad Car Tahoes they have and it caught on fire...what's the ONLY thing they pull out and save, no, not the valuable computer in the front seat...the donuts.  I preach the evils of donuts to my MPs!!

Wow, that story is hilarious.

Okay, so we talked the run yesterday, so let's talk bike today.  If I have any area where I am really learning, it is this area...the two things I want to touch on are: drills and intervals.

Drills- I personally don't have many drills that I do on the bike, and don't know of too many...I need to learn more here.  BUT, one of the drills that I do execute are OLDs--One Legged Drills.  This is where you just pedal with one leg.  I have NEVER done this on the road.....not that you cannot, I just find it easier on the trainer.  What this helps you identify is the quality of your stroke.  Now, without clipless pedals, this won't really be effective cause it takes into account your up-stroke.  I promise you, if you give this a shot on the trainer, you will see where the "stutter" steps in your pedal strokes are and it will help you smooth it out and make it more effective. 

Intervals- SAME concept as running here!! Intervals will help you push that HR up some and build up that speed.  I actually prefer intervals on the bike (with lack of flat ground for me, I do these on the trainer too, hard to do intervals well when you are going up and down hilly terrain) as opposed to the run because it helps me pass the time and really be focused on it...I haven't felt like I needed to throw up on these (uh oh, does that mean I'm not doing it hard enough)

The same concepts as running go into the bike...there are days you ride at a more moderate, base pace, and other days where you do some tempo/speed intensity work. 

The BIG thing with cycling is, as BT so often puts it: T.I.T.S  "Time In The Saddle."  Cycling, of the three, is truly where simply riding often and with good effort will increase your capability on the bike.  In my first sprint last year, all of 13.8 miles in the cold (it was cold, like 27 degrees cold, pool swim, but outdoor bike...yeah, it froze this Texan) and I think I avg. barely 17mph....so, I increased my biking, raced more, and ended up holding a little over 17 for 56 miles on my first HIM in June...by the time I got to Oct and my "A" Half-Ironman I was able to hold 20.7 for 56 miles!! I never dreamed that possible--but I just rode and rode and rode. 

One thing I will say, and this applies for SWIMMING and BIKING ONLY, NOT for running (more to follow on this, and ideas, etc.): in training, exceed the distance of the race.  If you have a sprint race and the bike is, say 13 miles, get your body used to riding 15-16 miles...this builds your cycling endurance and the stronger your bike endurance, the more you will have left for that run.  Recovery from cycling (non-impact) and swimming (also non-impact) IS much easier, especially for the Sprint and Olympic distances.  Build up solid endurance here, and it will help you on the run.

Again, before my first HIM, I hadn't really biked over 56 miles often...maybe 62 here or there, and I was HURTING on that run (and heck, that's one of my strengths!)...but in prep for HIM #2 I was hitting 70-76 often and my 2nd HIM was much faster as was my run!!

So, just a few tips and areas for discussion.  SWIM tips tomorrow!

Holy cow, both of those stories are great!  Gotta love dumb people!

Hi Folks,

First, thanks to all of you who have been posting on the 'inspire me' on my log.   I had no idea what that was for and had never looked at it.  Imagine my surprise to find all of your well wishes and motivational messages!  Awesome!

 Ice in Texas. Darn it!  It did get me.  After watching the morning news for an hour and hearing all about the ice, I walked out of my apartment, hit the first flight at the top of my stairs outside and uh oh....I was a goner.  Luckily, I was able to hook my arm over the bannister and get my ring finger curled under to catch the only surface that wasn't slick to keep me from tumbling forward.  Instead, I slid down the stairs, hit the bottom, and THANK GOODNESS was caught by the friendly neighbor pooring water on his windshield.  Had he not been there, I'd be posting from a hospital after bouncing off of a parked car!  Ridiculous.  To top it all off, I get back upstairs and my mother starts fussing at me for running down the stairs.  Hardly!  I tell my story at which point my 3 year old declares he's not walking down.  So next trip, I'm carrying the 3 year old over ice and praying the 6 year old doesn't slip behind me and take us all out!  Argh.  And yes, while I thought I was fine, when I hit the pool at lunch and was instructed to do some vertical kicking...not so much...knee and ankle.  I hit the recumbent later that day but have had to put off running for a few days.  Long bike ride tomorrow and long run (hopefully) on Sunday.  The rain man giveth and the ice man taketh away!

What motivates me?  My kids love what I am doing and my husband loves the results.  And I'm such a competitor and this sport seems to give me such a great outlet to get results based on what I put into it.  I've waited (potty training, Phd program, commuting) to find my hobby for this next phase of my life and I'm so excited.  The issue for me is one of being careful to not do too much, not yet to get myself to do it to begin with.

What's the hardest part?  Time, oh father time, where do you go?  Finding 10 hours or so a week is no easy feat, but all of you know that.  My office has stopped shaking their head at me when I opt for a run during lunch instead of lunch during lunch.  I found a class to take on my campus that takes care of most of my swimming (although its off to a slow start) during the lunch hour twice a week.  Biking, yup Brittany, that time in the saddle is proving to be the hardest part during the week, but I just mapped out a ride home thats just over 16 miles.  I'm riding part of it tomorrow and it may become my commute home to the apartment twice a week.  All in all, I'm trying to fit it in where I can fit it in.  Now to find time for my strength training.  I was pretty religious about it for the past 6 months, but the last two months, as my training in the tri sports has increased, I haven't been nearly as consistent.

Brittany, I agree with the others...what great posts about running and cycling.  I'm printing them too.  I'll only add that I've found the mcmillian running calculator to be a big help in figuring out what those times should be for 'long run', 'recovery run', 'easy run' and the rest of the lingo in this foreign language we're all trying to run.  I've only used the 'long run', 'easy run', and the '400 sprint' times but all three were remarkably on.  In particular, my 60 minute long run was beyond what I thought possible but I held the pace the calculator suggested.  Just an fyi for ya'll.  I did it first with a self-timed mile, then did it again after I ran a 5k.  Hope it helps.

 Everyone seems so excited and that's exciting to me.  It's nice to be here with you all (born and raised in Texas, but my mother, the English teacher, forbade ya'll)!

Hi All,

A friend sent this link.  Apparently KEO has recalled thousands of LOOK pedals due to injury causing accidents.  If you use LOOK or your friends do, take a look and see if you're affected.  The posting says that any bike shop selling LOOK pedals should be able to make the repairs.  Stay safe.

 http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08354.html

Oh no! . What a tragedy. I hope you catch the #$^W@%%$ bad guy.  Prayer said.

Les

Oh my goodness, that is beyond horrible!    Prayers sent for him and his family.   

Hey all,

Just checking in.  I went to REI this past weekend to look for a HR monitor, and man they are expensive!  I'm beginning to think that triathlons are for rich people.  So I'm going to start digging around Craigs List, etc. for a used one.  I'd like one that measures speed and distance on my runs, so of course that puts me up there in terms of price range.

My next purchase--after the HR monitor--is a bike.  I've heard that a lot of the shops have 2008 models that are going for real cheap right now.  I'd thought I'd buy a used one, but I'm open to a new one if the price is right.

Brit, thanks for the tips on time in the saddle, etc.  That's helpful.   

Kirk, this is horrible, my prayers are definitely directed that way, for him, his family, and for all of y'all to find the suspect.

Tri's can get expensive when you go for some of the training aids.  It is nice to know, but definitely not required.  It sounds like you're looking more for a GPS than a heart rate monitor--there are some options out there that are just watch and HRM options, and some have footpods that help with pace, etc.  Others, like the Garmins, have the full thing: HRM, pace, clock, distance, you name it.  While you look for the right device that fits your budget (and yeah, Craigslist and eBay can have some good deals--be sure to keep an eye on the Classifieds here as well--there can be some REALLY good deals), also look at using just a normal digital watch and the route builder here or on www.mapmyrun.com  (the one here is nice, cause then you can just upload the route into your log each time) and you can figure out your distance before you run and if you can do the math, keep track while you're running!

And yes, now is a decent time to look for '08 deals on bikes, as well as people looking to upgrade from their previous bikes to an '09 model. 

Sorry I have been out...I'll post some swim notes, inline with the bike and run posts.

Thanks for the run/bike notes.  I actually understand it!  Now to put it in action.... 

 -Wes

Hey guys!  What a crazy few days around here!  I hope things settle down soon! 

Here is a big surprise.....it's snowing.  Again.  Blech!  I went to the Y and did my 5 miles this morning because I figured the kids would be released early.  Well, I just checked the school's website and they are staying open.  I am so dissapointed!  I could have run in the snow!  I love running in the snow!  Oh well, nothing to do about it now!

Good news....it looks like I will be picking up my bike next week!!  I cannot wait to get it and my trainer and start putting in the miles!  I am still a bit worried about the size of the bike but I know that my LBS won't sell me something that isn't right for me.  It's a 56 and I think 54 is more my size.  We'll see at my fit.  I think they know better than I do!

I know it's more than about height, but how tall are you.  My 1 month old is a 56 too and I'm wondering.  I'll go back for a 2nd fit in a week or so and tell them then what issues I have.

Bummer on missing the snow run. Sounds like fun, hard fun, but fun. It was 28 this morning, 73 now.  Go figure.  Gotta love Texas!