Fred D's triathlon training group CLOSED (Page 11)

I still have not put my bike together.  I at least took the case cover off to see that everything appears to be in good shape.  I am so lazy. Going to do a short easy run here in a little bit, as much for the dog as for me, then off to boring birding, but at least I get to hike a bit.  If anyone has ever hiked with a birder it is a lot of starting and stopping.  It is actually at one of the closest spots to do OWS around here.  My tri group was there last weekend and I hear the water is really cold so I am not even tempted to take the wetsuit. 

Good morning all.  I am back at home after several days at my parents to help out with my mom as much as i could. Her second surgery went really well and now we are just waiting for test results which i guess won't be until the 20th.  I didn't do much training while there but i did manage to swim at a much nicer facility than I usually have available to me here. 

Today is a classic example of fitting in training around stuff that happens. I will definitely be doing the trainer despite pretty nice weather today since my hubby is doing a 5k in our area this morning but its at 11am - we'll be heading out soon. So, today the plan is about 3 hours on the bike with a 20 minute t-run following. 

Kim, i had to laugh about your enthusiasm for birding! have a fun time - do you take pictures or something to keep you occupied? (you sound like me with Darren at the hardware store - hahaha - lots of stopping and starting) and don't worry about your bike too much - you just raced.  

Sometimes I get to take the dog, so that helps with the entertaining.  Sometimes we combine activities.  I'll go bike where ever she wants to bird and so we get to drive out and back together and I get to bike somewhere new.  Or I'll trail run.  I am being good this weekend though since Tina came to Galveston for my HIM (although I think more to see birds then anything.  There are a pile of pictures of me biking, big break of nothing but birds, then more of me biking).

I vote fat bike.  I'll always vote that way though.   Speaking of which, need to get the mountain bike into the shop to get my shocks overhauled.  Almost time to go play since I only have one more race on my schedule (as of right now)

Got another 1:15 on the bike this morning and hoping for a short run with Keelyn in the jogger after she gets up from her nap...then its yard work.

Rudy:  My parents have a place in Bonita Springs which is 10 minutes south of Fort Myers.  Marco is about a 90 minute drive.  I actually proposed to my wife in Marco on the beach at the Hilton.  Have fun.

Jen:  Hope your Mom heals up quick.

Good luck with the racing peeps.

Hey - I am actually on Marco island right now! My snowbird Michigan inlaws live in a golf community in Naples March through May (they cannot come down TOO early or they will miss snowmobiling season) and they keep a membership at the Marco Island Beach Ocean Club, so we get down here at least once per year, sometimes more. The ocean was ROUGH yesterday, but today it is great for swimming - just finished up 2.25 according to the swim-capped Garmin, but you know how reliable that is...

Looking forward to hear the races went today Rudy and Melissa!

I have a fair amount of experience with ultras and multi-day "adventure" races. Training for 50k is pretty much just like marathon training, but the race is actually a little easier (to me) as you pace it much more conservatively. If it is a trail race (all but one of mine so far are) you have to take that into account with your training. 50 milers are different, as common wisdom says that you have to stack two long run days back-to-back, or some folks actually do them in the same day, morning and afternoon. I have never done a straight 100 mile run - that has to be another beast entirely. What else would you like to know?

We do a lot of "economic engine" work in rural west Alabama (helping to create tourist opportunities, etc. in local communities) and one of our projects was to build a birding tower in a scenic park that happens to be situated smack in the middle of one of the major migratory flyways in the US. The project came about because our research showed that Birders spend more tourist money on their hobby that any other hobbiest group in the United States. We all know how much us triathletes spend on OUR hobby, so probably between the two of you you are single-handedly turning the US economy around - keep it up!

Had a nice 5 mile run this morning and Tif and I are going to do a long ride tomorrow.  I believe this is the earliest we have really got back into training after a HIM and I am feeling really good this year. 

I really want to hit the training hard the rest of April and in May....our next race is a sprint and I have decided in the shorter distance races I should be able to compete for a podium finish in my age group.  I have done it once before...and I want to prove to myself this year that it was not just a fluke.

Melissa - sorry to hear the race did not go as you had hoped...but it does sound like fun running through the "Stars"

Rudy - hope your race went well.

I've found that the deeper I get into this sport, the quicker I recover from races.  Hit the training hard and shoot for that podium.  It largely depends on who shows up...but you just train and race hard and let the chips fall.

This cracked me up!

Well race was a good barometer for me, it was 7 laps of a 7 mile circuit. I finished about 38th of 90 or so, i got dropped on the last climb of the last lap and solo'd it in. Although i got dropped, i compared last years race to this years, last years was 42 miles and did not have the extra climb and at the time i fell off the back we were 1mph faster than last year. Fields are much stronger this year. I was averaging about 23.6 up to mile 45. There was significant wind, with the group going 15 mph at points and points where we were in line at close to 30mph.  i definitely need more longer rides, aerobically i was fine, my legs were tired during the last lap.

all in all i am pleased, regardless of the mediocre finish.

total for day about 60 miles

long run on tap today, i am shooting for 10 miles in tired legs.

So the only really big difference is an extra long run training wise?  A 50k is in line with the distance I was thinking of.  If I want to increase speed should I wait to train for an ultra or will the increased volume help?  Although I have never increased speed during marathon training in reality my volume for a marathon gets me about to the starting point of good running volume.   Hard to run large volumes when you are slow and still swim and bike.  I did find this training plan but it seems light on volume from what I was expecting.

Interested in doing an ultra as well, not in the cards for this year but maybe 2013 or 2014.