Ernesto's group - CLOSED (Page 11)

Sometimes, following the masses is your only choice. This will happen mostly in very choppy conditions or when you're in a mass start with too many other athletes in the water where you can't go anywhere. Other than that you should look for the buoys yourself. Just keep trying and you will perfect the technique, but for the most part your head should sight briefly when your right starts the pull phase of the stroke.

In Feb I joined a running group that has helping me over the past few months.  Last month they started up their official web page.  Right now it is in it's beginning stages but they hope to make it beneficial not just for locals but for people everywhere.  They have doctors other there to ask specific questions to, as well as posts and forums about different products hitting the market.  It's free to join and poke around.  You can even see me in a few pictures!  LOL!  

I am going to run with them to do a 1 mile Challenge.  I did my first one 6 weeks ago with a time of 7:43.  I never thought I'd rum that.  Hopefully the past 6 weeks shaved a few seconds off my time.  We shall see!

www.runmdr.com

Thanks, all, for the feedback.  The only reason I ask is because, well, my previous posts haven't generated replies.  I thought perhaps they were too generic or something.

So never mind the past postings, here's the main question I have: what should I concentrate on learning about to improve my running?  Intervals?  HR Zones?  Speed workouts?  Something else?  I mean, all I'm really doing now is running about four miles three times a week and hoping I get faster with repetition.  Surely there's a better way than that, right?

I can do the research and learn about stuff, I'm just trying to figure out what the best thing to concentrate on is.  It would help if I had a training plan, but I don't really know how to pick one.

Any feedback is appreciated, I know folks are busy.  I promise I don't want to hog the forum, I just would like a few opinions to pick from on how people move forward into more focused training techniques.

Thanks again,

Mike

Mike,

Not being a mentor and being new at this myself, I'll avoid giving specific advice. I'll tell you what I did that I think works for me so far. The similarity I see between us is that we both were already running so there is some comfort level with that. I went to the training plans section of the site and chose the 12 week beginning sprint plan. You are a bronze member so you can alter and move parts of the suggested plan around at will. I was already doing more running than the plan called for. I backed into a plan using the date of my first race. (June 26)

I follow the prescribed workouts day to day as a general guide of the type of workout to do. Sometimes Ernesto will give advice such as long bike on Saturday and long run on Sunday so I will substitute those for whatever the plan calls for. I'm not a strong swimmer yet so some of the swimming workouts in the plan, i could not possibly do in less than 2 hours so I do what I can with the time I have. If you look at my logs you will see sometimes I follow the plan exactly and at other times I don't.

I guess, more simply, what I'm trying to say is I'm not sure there is a right way for a newbie to do this. There's a lot to learn. Have fun with the journey and try to get all of the disciplines each week. Sorry if this comes across as a rambling reply.

Don't push for hard paces Mike, this is your own body so you need to find paces that will take you to the end of the workout without taxing you to the point that you will not be able to do the next one because you're exhausted and/or sore.

New trainings will bring new muscle pains (remember shin splints when you started running?). Try to rest your muscles. You have to as be dilligent about recovery as you should be about completing your sessions.

Speed training is GOOD, it is what teaches the body new paces and creates the neuro-muscular connections for that to happen. However this type of training has to be done sparingly when you start training for tri's. Much more important, you need to create an aerobic base, this is done by gradually increasing the LENGHT of your workouts, but not the intensity. Actually, you should be going slower than your usual pace. The challenge has to be in the duration of the workout.

Just wanted to share my joy.  I completed my 1 Mile Challenge tonight and ran 6:56!!!  47seconds faster than 6 weeks ago!  I am still so new so I will enjoy these PR's as they are coming!!!

Jen

Yay Jen, way to go!!! Enjoy them while you can, the curve is not so steep later on...

Congratulations Jen!

I feel fantastic!  I really didn't mind the diet restrictions except I missed fruit a lot. 

I practiced the TT course last night.  For the first time ever, I am going to do the summer time trials that start next week.  I'm nervous because it's a lot of big hammers, but hopefully I can go first and finish before they all pass me up.

Good job on your Challenge, Jen.  That's exciting.

Good luck Chris and Jen in your events this weekend.  Any anyone else that I missed!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0-lP3exIfc

Came across this on youtube, thought I'd share with anyone also struggling with sighting.

Training Question:  I had a very long busy day yesterday, full steam ahead from morning till bed.  Trying to stick to my scheduled workouts, especially speed sessions, hoping to reduce my time before the big day.  I'm feeling pretty wiped out from yesterday.....Today should be a speed/interval workout.  They wipe me out!  Not sure I'm up for it.  Long slow runs feel much better.  So, my ?:

Do you push ahead with an interval/hard workout when feeling worn out or should I take an easy long run?  Thoughts/opinions appreciated! 

Great ink Mark! It represents commitment, determination and courage, just a triathlete can knows what's behind that mark.
Congrats Mark!

I am no expert but in my own training if I feel that beaten I would adjust the workout.  Training exhausted can't possibly be beneficial and could lead to injury and/or sickness because of the stress on the body...  I won't be training for more intense races for awhile.  

The others on the forum  will have me seasoned advice so I'm anxious to see what they say.

Jackie,

Thanks for the encouragement.  I appreciate it.  

Ernesto (and everyone else):  Tactics.

I'm still concerned about my pace.  To get under 1:40, I need an average pace of 7:37.  In late January, I did a shortened half (11.6 miles) at an 8 minute pace with essentially no training since Thanksgiving and felt fine (at least while I was running).  But that course was very straight and seemed flatter, although my Garmin disagrees (http://connect.garmin.com/activity/65660741).  This half-marathon is on a course very near my house and on roads and paths I train on when I run near my house (as opposed to work).   For the first three miles, it is pretty straight and slightly and gently downhill.  After that, it is very curvy and hilly, say, quarter mile up, quarter mile down, quarter mile up, and so on, until the end.  No big hills, but some steep ones and constant rollers.   (Here's the course http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4313135) On my longest training run, I ran 12 miles in this terrain at about 8:30 - the usual 1 minute slower than goal pace.   Felt fine.  Didn't seem hard.  Heart rate averaged 151 and peaked at 164.  (Here's the link which has elevation and heart rate data http://connect.garmin.com/activity/81065918). But I've never run this long, or in this terrain, at under an 8 minute pace (although I haven't tried either).  

My plan is to go out at 7:45 for the first mile to calm down, then drop to 7:35 for the second and attempt to simply run 1 mile races at exactly 7:35 and ignore the terrain.  Then, after, say, mile 8 (or 1 hour, 50 seconds if I were to magically hit every mile exactly according to plan and the Garmin agreed with the mile markers) I would reassess.  If I feel good, drop to say, 7:20, otherwise just gut it out and try to keep 7:35 or as close as I can to it until the end.  

Comments?

My other worry is nutrition.  I eat very few carbs.  I basically eat no grains or sugar.  (I'm one of those weird paleo people.)  So breakfast is usually some eggs and maybe some meat with at least two cups of coffee.  Worked fine for the 5k, but not sure about this for half marathon.  I could eat some potatoes the night before or have a pineapple smoothie that morning along with the eggs.   Advice on this appreciated as well.

Chris

Thanks for the link JulDee. This is helpful! Oh, by the way I second the vote for adjusting the workout. Speed work is even more stressful in a fatigued state and you may not be able to hit the speeds you need to get the full benefit of the workout.

Chris, 

How is the Paleo diet for you.  I struggle so much with nutrition(ask anyone who reads my link on my BT log).  The foods I eat and organic and homemade for the most part except when I'm pushed for time but I know I can't loose by body fay percentage  until my food intake is correct.  I've been reading about the Paleo diet for some time and was wanting to get some personal insight.  

By they way.....GOOD LUCK!!!!

_Easier than that on the first mile Chris, then start building your pace as you go. On the first couple go by feel but it must not be hard. 7:45 may be a little too hard to begin with. Nutrition should be based on carbs WHILE you’re racing. Paleo is great until you start doing long distance endurance events. There’s a fat glycolisis that STILL requires up to 50% from simple sugars or even higher at different intensities.

I always insist on training your body to burn fats, but you should not starve your body from carbs while training or much less when racing.

And trust me, YOU ARE breaking 1:40!

I'm not as strict as some. Like most, I don't eat grains or soybeans (or any other legumes for that matter).   I eat dairy, for instance.  And coffee.  And wine.  I consider beer cheating, but I still do it now and then.  I try to not eat seed oils (corn, soybean, basically any plant based oil other than olive oil), but that can be difficult when not at home.   I also avoid almost anything artificial (such as artificial sweeteners).    

It's good for me.  It allows me to eat as much as I want while keeping my weight down.  When I cheat, I gain.  I have to get my blood work done again soon, but you would think that eating huge amounts of fat, including saturated fat, would do horrible things to my cholesterol, but that hasn't happened.  Last time I checked, my bad cholesterol went down, and good went way up, and before both were bad enough that a doctor had me on Lipitor.  (I don't take that anymore).  

Downside: It's expensive.  It can also be very hard to eat out or when someone else is cooking.  

Overall, I like it.  The biggest change for most people is that you have to start eating only "food", as opposed to "food products."  

Ernesto,

Clarification needed.  I don't usually consume anything during long runs.   For training runs, I don't even drink water.  Not that I'm against it, I just never feel the need to.   For races, I do drink at the water stations.  Are you saying I need to eat or drink something caloric (and carby) during the actual race?  That's fine.  I'm willing to do it.  But since I'm not in the habit, I'm not sure what you are suggesting I do.  

The coach where I swim has been encouraging us to practice breathing every third stroke, that way you are alternating your sighting to each side without any extra major effort.  Even though I practiced it a number of times, I ended up not doing it for my Oly tri this past weekend since I felt more comfortable just breathing on my strong side and then just following the mob in front of me.  

Yes, you will see your performance go even further if you start fueling. You don't have to stuff yourself with food and or drinks, just a little bit of IM perform or Gatorade will do the trick or a Gu 20' into the race.

If you're ever thinking about venturing into long distance triathlons or full marathons nutrition CANNOT be neglected or you're up for some serious dissapointments (and maybe even endanger yourself). I suggest you purchase this book I've been talking about and read thoroughly about nutrition. This guy actually thinks that certain carbs should be completely wiped off the diet, but not all of them and certainly not during racing and training.