jsiegs and slornow's Train Hard and Have Fun group - CLOSED for Training (Page 11)

Good question.  Do you use a HR monitor during workouts or know what your resting HR usually is?  A very good feed back is if either of those are elevated.  Some people will monitor their resting HR each day to watch trends.  Also, if you go for an easy run or bike or swim and just feel fatigued and/or your HR is very high given your effort (and you've eaten enough, you're not dehydrated, it's not 100 degrees and humid) that is a good sign you need some recovery.  Listen to you body if that happens.  An easy swim can be an "active" rest day.  Same if you spin a bit but keep the resistance VERY low.  Keep your legs moving, but not working helps a lot of people get that recovery without feeling "stale" the next day due to inactivity.

I agree. Sometimes if I'm really tired, or just don't feel like going, I'll make myself go. I've been known to have GREAT workouts then, but there have been times that I just have to stop and call it a day. Sometimes your endorphins take over and you end up feeling better than you do now.

Thanks everyone.  I went and tried to do my swim workout.  It became clear that my planned workout wasn't going to happen.  I decided just to do an easy "recovery" swim.  I do use a HR monitor, but not regularly enough to be able to notice trends.  Maybe I will start.

Hope you are all having a good day.

Christy

Hi guys, I've been in a VERY exhausting class all week for work. Sunday through Wednesday was sitting in a classroom 13 hours a day, plus group work and after-class reading. I've been averaging about 3 hours of sleep less per night than my usual. Managed to get all my workouts in this week but like Christy, I'm just totally EXHAUSTED. (And this was supposed to be a run recovery week!) Back at the office this afternoon feeling like I could fall asleep on my exercise ball (I sit on one of those) at any minute. Going to run tonight and hopefully crash hard right after. 

No races this weekend. I'm still hoping to get in the six-mile run that I missed last week (I did a 5K) on Saturday. Legs are feeling pretty good, it's the rest of me that's tired I'm supposed to have drinks with a friend tomorrow night and I hope I don't pass out.

Good luck to everybody racing this weekend!

@Karla - You can do it! We have so much faith in you. You're going to be awesome. Even if your mind is feeling nervous, trust that your body will know what to do. 

@Joe - how exactly does one get vertigo? what does it feel like? I'm so curious. My only frame of reference is Liza Minelli on Arrested Development. 

Thanks Nicole, and everyone for the well wishes!

In a small effort to practice transition, I'm going to take the bike on a 7 mile ride tomorrow then do a 2 mile run. I'm doing this on a new path (it's a hiking/run/bike trail) so I hope they have large markers out so I know where 1 mile is!!

In other news, I weighed in today and I weigh today what I did on my wedding day, 1-1/2 years ago! What a great feeling!

I hope everyone is having a great day!!

I'm sure that is a great feeling! 

I don't know about anyone else, but I am really really bored! I've been training so much the last few weeks, and having to take it easy the day(s) before the race is driving me crazy!

I swam briefly this morning, mainly just to use it as a recovery swim. I ended up getting home this afternoon, and after doing some work around the house/yard, I decided to go outside and practice my T1 and T2 transitions. Everything went pretty well, so I am really excited about the race (even more-so than I already was).

Put in a 4 mile run today. It was late and I didn't really want to go. The Wife wasn't feeling well so i watchd the kids and did the dishes while she laid down. When she got up I just had to go run run before she went to a meeting tonight. So I took my mp3 player and cranked Winds of Plague and had a nice little run.

The days before a race are the worst. I always get anxious and start over analysing things like transition, what I should eat for breakfast, if I trained enough etc. but race day will come and everything will work out. Good Luck to all racing this weekend.

Today, for the first time since I cracked my leg/tore up my ankle, I felt some real progress with the healing.  I've been off crutches and using a walking  boot for a few weeks; I took it off today after I was through lifting and did some light exercises and felt pretty good about it.  I did sort of a half stationary lunge, half toe touch thing that a trainer friend recommended, 2x10 for each leg (gotta keep things balanced right).  My balance was poor and the ankle is weak (and sadly, I can already feel soreness coming on...soooo out of shape right now) but that's to be expected I suppose. 

I don't think I'll be running for a couple weeks still but I tomorrow I'm going start getting back into the swing of things with a swim. I still feel really lost in regards to swimming, anyone have any thoughts about workouts? Pre-injury I could only swim about 200m without feeling like I was about to drown, so I was thinking I might do a ladder...something like 50/100/150/200/150/100/50. And even that might be ambitious.

Hope everyone's well.

~Adam

@Adam-I'm glad your ankle is feeling better.

I think I'm taking today off.  It's Parent's Day at my daughter's school.  (My first ever Parent's Day!!)  I might be able to get something in later this afternoon, but I'm not going to stress out about it. Or, I'm going to try not to stress out about it.  I have a brick tomorrow then I'm taking Sunday off to get my garden ready.

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend!!

Christy

@randy sorry to hear about your son. sometimes dealing with adversity better defines who we are as an athlete than when we have a great season. At least, that's what I tell myself every time I get an injury, lol.  Really stinks to have such unfortunate timing though. High School/college is such a pressure cooker time... one of the best things about enjoying sports as an adult is that you set goals for yourself mentally vs. relying on sports for scholarships, etc. What schools is he looking at?

Good luck with your races this weekend everyone!

Sorry, I'm having technical difficulty....3rd try:

Hey guys

Been a busy week, training is winding down before 1/2 IM in Orlando.  Can't wait I have all this nervous energy about the race. 

Yesterday ran 5 miles at 8:00 pace, felt really good. 

Racing question: On the bike they have a rest stop at 20 miles, 31 and 43.  I have 3 water cages on my bike (2 behind seat, one on bike frame).  I go through about a water bottle every hour or about 20 miles.  should I take one water bottle with me on bike? or should I do more? I just don't know how thirsty I will be after swim, on training runs I have drank more after swim. Maybe I have just answered my own question. What does everyone do?  Any advice?

I am experiencing this now...I have competed in surfing contests for over 10 years, and did Mixed Martial Arts (both grappling tournaments and full MMA fights), and I can't believe how anxious I am.

I was eerily calm all day yesterday, more excited than anything. Today, I have found myself worried about transitions, and having a hard time visualization everything. I really just need to complete one, and  I know I will be fine. For me it is the fear of the unknown. Scared, but oh so excited at the same time.

Randy - I'm sorry about your son. Hopefully he has a quick recovery and get back on track for some college applications Good luck getting him to ease back in to the running... I had a couple shoulder injuries in swimming in h/s, and it was hard listening to coaches and parents say: take it easy! If I had known then what I know now...!

I did a small brick this morning: 7.10 miles on the bike then a 1 mile jog, which actually took me about 1/2 mile to get in to. Is it too late to say: "I wish I had done this a few weeks ago" ugh. Oh well, live and learn, I'm not racing to set world records this weekend! I definitely know what to work on starting Monday, for the next tri.

Thank you ALL for the well wishes, again I'm going to do the best I can and have a great time doing it... I'm sure a tear or two will fall as I cross the finish line. What a huge accomplishment!

I did the same thing Randy did for my first HIM - took enough so I didn't need the bottle exchanges.  Next time I'll be 1 or 2 max.  1 for water and one if I want to do a concentrated mix for calories and plan to use the exchanges.  I'd suggest having 2, then you have plenty to get the the first bottle pick up and can get one if you need and skip it if you can make it another 10 miles.  Discard the bottles you have when empty - don't need that aero drag

This might be a silly question but, how hard is it to get a bottle while you're on your bike?  I sometimes have problems getting over for water on my runs.  I can't imagine how hard it is with a bike.

Not that hard.  Obviously, if the course is packed, it may be tough and actually require you to stop.  I've never needed to though and you just slow down a little (they don't put them in places where you'll be flying down hill) reach out and grab one just like running.  Have someone hold a bottle and practice bikign by if you want to see if you can do it easily.

Just keep in mind it's very unsafe to stop without notice - people behind you are looking for bottles and may only have one hand on the bars.  Pull off to the side AFTER the exchange and out of the way if you miss a bottle - a volunteer shiould bring one to you, and you'll only lose a few seconds.