Kenj - triathletes in training CLOSED (Page 11)

Nice!

Have fun!

Good for you getting that done!

I was reading somewhere, either an Active link or Ironman link from facebook about 5 ways to improve your bike power.  One of them was intentionally riding hard into headwinds.  I will have to remind myself of that next time I am complaining about the wind! 
Have a great ride!

Personally I like to use the swim as a little recovery from the running.  Although when training for running races I would always procrastinate going to the pool, I always felt better afterwards. 

Since we're diving in some serious questions - I have a question for everyone, and obviously there's no ONE RIGHT answer because it's so individualized. 

For easy workouts - low key, long, but not hard, Zone 1, short runs, etc - do you take in recovery drinks?

For hard, intensive workouts - intervals, tough, Zone 3 or more, long hard runs, hard bike, etc - do you take in recovery drinks?

I'm not talking about food recovery (although, it is kind of considered that, but for now, lets just do recovery drinks).

IF the answer is YES - what do you drink?

The reason why I am asking is: Last night I was at Ladies' Night at my bike shop. Lots of estrogen in one room...lol.  Some of my cycling friends, and a couple dabbles in triathlons (they're like me, just for fun/fitness, not in any desire to win podiums).    They claim that they HAVE to have Recoverite (Hammer Product) recovery drink or R4+ (not sure what that is, I can't remember), in order to recover from the hard/intensive workouts because without them, they feel like shite the next day.   I quipped in and say that I don't take any of those recovery drink. Just a good half frozen chocolate milk.   One of the triathlete friends said, that she've tried that and it doesn't work for her.  Then I asked her: Well, how do you KNOW you need a recovery drink?  She said that basically the day after she does the hard stuff, her legs feel trashed. So when she took the recovery drink, she feels very fresh.

Then that kind of puzzled me a bit because I've done some long rides, hard rides, some hard runs, and I drink Chocolate milk, soak in a hot water bath, and I'm good.   Then it made me feel like I may not have been working HARD enough in the first place to have "trashed legs" the next day.   They all claim that it must be that I'm younger. They're like 5-10, and one 15 years older than me.  Could it be my legs? Could it be that chocolate milk just happens to work for me? Could it be that I'm really not working hard enough like they are?  I do remember there has been a couple runs when my legs feels stiff/sore, I definitely have taken hot baths, but I don't remember whether I drank chocolate milk. 

This has me very intrigued and I would like to seriously improve on my recovery instead of just thinking on the fly. 

Tuesday I have my hard/hilly ride, so I'm going to put my body to a test. I will NOT take Chocolate milk, but I will take a hot bath, and see how I feel the next day. The following week, same ride, and take in Recoverite right afterwards (I was told to put it in milk as it's "SO DELICIOUS!!"), and NOT take a hot bath, but stretch, and see how I feel the next day.

I will repeat the same test for my hard/long runs. I feel like I never need food/drink recovery from bike rides. After I finished my first Century, I was so sure that my legs would feel trashed...it felt perfectly fine as if nothing happened.  Had Ice cream bar, semi-frozen chocolate milk, hot bath that's it. I didn't even stretch either. 

I want to get this set in stone before my HIM training. I know it changes as I go, but if I know ahead it will help with recovery BETTER, especially now because I'm about a month or so before the HIM plan starts and when it starts ramping up. I do expect that some days will totally be off where I'm hurtin' or for whatever reason my recovery protocol doesn't work, but it'll be nice to know ahead of time. Does that make any sense? LOL? 

Meulen - 2012-04-12 10:12 AM

kenj - 2012-04-12 12:10 PM

CyborgQueen - 2012-04-12 12:34 PM

kenj - 2012-04-12 5:49 AM

Good morning all!

Whats everyone up to today?

For me 90 minutes on the trainer and I am planning on finding time for a run later as well.

*praying* that the Wind Gods decides to leave us alone tonight. Going on a easy night bike ride with my bike club, with a 1 mile run after. Tuesdays - Hard, hilly ride, Thursdays - easy recovery ride/brick (if this is a bit on a slower side, I'm going to change it up so I can put more focus on speeding up my cadence), with a short run after. So it'll be a brick ride.   My new NiteRider MiNewt is screaming, "Please can I go outside? Please please please?!"

I was reading somewhere, either an Active link or Ironman link from facebook about 5 ways to improve your bike power.  One of them was intentionally riding hard into headwinds.  I will have to remind myself of that next time I am complaining about the wind! 
Have a great ride!

Only thing in Vegas is when it's dry the winds carry a lot of sand. You can't really be out there in the sand storms. If it's just windy though, it's good training!!

Agree - It's the worse when I am on my runs at the park. HORRIBLE! :-) I went on my bike ride the other day, and it wasn't too bad, but getting sand in my mouth...bleh!   It also feels like sandpaper has been dragged across my face after a workout. 

The problem with winds in Vegas is that it's very strong, and it doesn't seem to STAY in one direction, it's like riding in swirling winds.  I think I can tolerate up to 15mph winds. Any more than that, I rather run. Any more than 25mph it's the gym or trainer.  I'm a wind weenie.

Kenj

I've been out of town with little access I hope to still be apart of the group..Hope all is well..

Tim

Hey everyone! Well as you know I have had issues with the diet/plateauing. I looked at my diet and have changed it somewhat. I have added more calories to it because I was eating too little. The changes are not horrible. I have added 1 maybe 2 protein shakes a day and also do a cup of almond milk/blackberries and a banana. So far it is FILLING me up big time. I think if I have to add one more thing I might burst or throw up.

Working out. My body just seemed so out of it last week. For decades I have just beat the crap out of my body with food. Now I am using that body to get back into shape. I think it pushed back against me a little. Do I envy some of you like ACV, Ken and IcemanScott? Hell yeah I do. I want to be at the spot you guys are in. I want to just get on my bike and ride for 60 miles. Am I there yet? No. Will I get there? YES!!! I just want it to be today and I need to learn patience. I just wish God would hurry up and give it to me.

Peter

Have I been away that long?  Sorry. 

Coaching - Yes, I am in my 4th year with Vision Quest Coaching out of Chicago.  Robbie Ventura was a teammate of Lance Armstrong on Postal years and years ago.  I am downstate with his coach Stan Watkins.  Great cyclist.  The bike is the key to a strong triathlon so that's where I went for help.  It was also my favorite segment at the time.  Still is but running and open water swimming are now loves too.  I also joined USA Masters and the coach here is great, Scott Clegg.  Also joined the run club and got help from several mentors there.  Recently, I started with semi private lessons in the pools with a tri coach who is great, Kevin McCarthy.   The upshot of all that is this:  coaches are pricy but worth it DEPENDING ON YOUR GOALS.  I was 54 at 400 pounds when I started riding in 2005.  I started with VQ in 2009 when I wanted to do my first triathlon.  Then goals became an Ironman 3 years in the future by my 60thj birthday.  I would never have made it without coaches, at least I don't think so.  I train with power meters which helps be precise and efficient.  I don't miss practices or workouts ever unless I am in the hospital for something or another like the hernia and bowel removal after IM.  But I am back at it right away.  The point there is that lots of people hire coaches and then do what they want when they want.  If that's you, don't waste your money.  But if you have goals that will stretch you like you want to be a "competer" rather than a "completer" of shorter distances or you want to go really long, then a coach is a fantastic aid.   In-person coaching is great, best.  On line coaching is good.  I've used some of Endurance nation's products and they've been really helpful.

I am taking coaching classes right now.  I always knew there was a lot to it, but my appreciation is growing. My coach is retiring.  (He was in business, made great money, took up coaching as something fun to do while he competes in road cycling, but now he is getting into retirement with his wife so I will soon either be on my own or with someone else through IM Moo 2013.  Unsure which yet. But the coaching classes will help either way.  

BUT, there are alternatives that are just fine if you want to devote time to your own planning.   Everyone - coached or not - should own the latest edition of Joe Friel's The Triathlete's Bible.  With it, you can learn to plan your own training year, weeks and days.  He al;so has DVDs that walk you through the process.  Self coaching for the motivated works great for friends of mine. Save your money if you aren't going to devote consider time and effort to the sport. It's fun either way.  Coaches just help you reach those harder to attain goals. If your goal is to have fun and stay fit, which are terrific goals and what most people do with the sport, you can do that yourself.   A coach will help you do it better.  You don't have to marry one either.  Take on a coach for the short-term, 6 months or so, tell them what you want - to get form help on swim, bike and run and learn how to boost your fitness during the base period, the build period, and the race period.  Pay attention and you'll go faster, be fitter and have an idea how to do it yourself for the rest of your life.  Information is always being published here and elsewhere.  You can learn all you want or nothing at all.  I suspect most people in these forums are more serious about wanting to do their best. 

Hope that helps.  Any questions, feel free to shoot them to me here or via email [email protected].

Happy Friday All!

I am supposed to be doing a HM on Sunday with some friends of mine. None of us are really ready for this so there will be walking involved. Add that to the fact that we are in the BOP and that makes for a long morning. Here is the thing. The weather report is horrible for Sunday. Cold, rain, possibly snow. Basically miserable. The cold and snow is one thing but throwing rain into the equation makes things messy. My worry is about getting to wet and cold and having miles to go. It could be slushy which will make our feet wet very quickly. I will bring gloves but again, they will stay dry for only so long. On top of this, I sweat a lot, even in cold weather.  I have no idea how to dress for this.  I have half a mind to not do it but I think I will wait until the weather gets bad tomorrow and see what the others have to say.

Any advice, tips, whatever would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Absolutely Tim!  You are in the group!  How have you been?

My advice on this Peter is to don't get in a big hurry and have expectations higher than reality.  I have seen too many people get derailed in their weight loss and training because they aren't meeting unrealistic goals.  Keep at it a little bit everyday and the results will come. 

Great feed back Ice! Thanks!

I'm on paleo and the cycle this time has been two weeks hold steady, one week drop.  You just have to experiment with what works for you, evaluate it, and adjust.  I do know this about anything, including weight loss - do the right things, you get the right results.

I tend to race a lot and don't mind the bad weather too much, at least for running races.  But, unless it was an A race that I had targeted (like Walt Disney Marathon in Orlando that was 24 degrees!), I wouldn't be afraid to skip it.  Usually the biggest reason  I don't is that I race with a group of friends many times and none of us want to be the wimp to call it first. 

But, and this is a big BUT, 13.1 miles is a long distance to cover, it is not like it is a 5K, so in addition to hours of misery, there is also an injury or illness risk that if I were you I would make a big part of the decision making process.  We all need to remember that we do this for fun, and it should be!

As far as advice if you do decide to race it, get a cheap sweatshirt from Walmart and maybe a rain poncho that you don't mind losing and if you are moving along and warm up or the weather isn't as bad as called for you can ditch it at an aide station. 

Good luck!

DJ - I usually don't take recovery drinks for short or easy workouts.  I try to plan it around a meal time or snack to get me through if I am hungry.

For longer workouts - it depends.  If I can just eat a meal afterward then I will do that.  If it falls in between then yeah I will either take a protein bar, choc. milk or a shake.  Not really set on any one thing and haven't noticed one that works better.

IMO for the women (or whoever) that say that a protein shake is the ONLY way to go after a hard workout is "usually" mostly mental and that is great for them.  I have read a lot on the forums on this topic "choc. milk vs. protein shake" and it doesn't seem to be any one right answer.  If you like choc. milk drink that, etc...  Also there are SO many variables in making an experiment that I would be wary on the results you may get.  Sleep, diet, what you did the day before, etc.. can all effect how you feel. I could be completely wrong - others can chime in - I just think that recovery is so complex is goes beyond what particular brand of drink you have afterward. let us know your results though!  

Hey Russ, are you looking for true cycling shoes or tri shoes?  Do you have a budget range in mind?