Baowolf mentor group is [ Closed ] (Page 11)

I joined masters swimming last year and I can't tell you how much it helped.  Did a 1:14 IM swim because of it.  It's all form.... and for us Non-swimmers it's not easy to come by...

Hey everyone.. you are all awesome with your racing and training !

My training got derailed again.  My FIL passed away the beginning of this month and the 5 kids are going to sell his house which is in really rough shape.. as in it was built in the late 60's and has never been updated.  Anyone old enough to remember the wood panelling craze of the '70s?  well that is on all the walls and when we looked under it there is nothing else.  So we are basically gutting the house, redoing all the walls, flooring, already put in 3 new windows and 2 new doors. Replaced the front porch and putting a deck on the back. For the past week we've been at the house all day doing reno.  On top of that the man could have been a star on the Hoarders show.  He has at least 5 sheds in the yard that are packed full of JUNK in addition to the garage and the basement of the house.  We've already spent a couple days sorting through stuff and hauling junk to the dump.

I have to go back to work tomorrow and my husband is going to stay at his dad's for a few days to get the drywalling done so I should get a few workouts in over the next couple days at least.

cathyd, we are kind of in the same boat re: the house selling.  My FIL is in assisted living now, and recently decided he wants to sell his house.  He hasn't been living there for over a year, but all the stuff is still there.  It is also early 1960's vintage (or maybe even late 50's).  Anyway, I'm taking him over there tomorrow to interview the first realtor candidate.  No doubt lots of work ahead to get it ready for sale, and a lot of emotions for him to work through.  As for me, training is cheaper than therapy .

Jford, welcome back from the work vortex!

Quasi, nice deal on the swim coaching.

+ 1,000,000..... I started a masters class in December, and it has been the best thing I've ever done for my swim.  HIGHLY recommend it to anyone!

Heart Rate training question --

I have been using RPE for all my training since I got off the couch a couple years ago. Didn't think HR was something I'd be concered with, but as I move along in the tri world, it seems like the way to go if I'm going to be more consistent with training, and get the most out of it. Do you feel this is true? How many of you use a HRM for your training? What is a good budget model if I was to go shopping for one? I understand the Garmin 910xt is the latest bad-a** on the block, but I already have a serviceable bike computer (cateye wireless cadence, etc). And I'm not really in need of the swim features. GPS? Would be interesting to have but not a must.

Thoughts????

HRM's-- I have been researching too. Ceril, be careful with the new Wahoo blue tooth strap because I think it only works with the iPhone 4S. I also have a Morphie battery pack which doubles the battery life. This does add size so it will not fit in standard arm bands, or mounts. It will alow you to recharge prior to work outs so that you should have a full charge to start. Fo me right now I do not want to spend the money. I am already purchasing a new road bike and have some thoughts aboput getting clipless shoes and peddles.

Pre race jitters-- Do they ever go away? I have run 5k's before. Saturday I have a 5k and still feel build up. For people doing public speaking they say use the energy to add energy to the talk. Of course all the Tri training is the rehersal for the big event, so trust in your training. Remeber it is only one event and they will not all be PR's. Set realistic expectations. There is no reason you cannot finish if you completed the training. So have fun!   ..... I hope I can rember that saturday.

James, I agree on the core work.  Unfortunately, I preach it more than practice it.  When I sprained my ankle in December, I worked on core and upper body strength because I couldn't do much else.  I really think it helped me bounce back into run training better than if I had not.

Ceril, will your upcoming tri's have open water or pool swims?  If it's OW, will you get some OW practice in before race day?

Not much to report on the workout front.  I walked/shuffled with the dog Monday, walked the dog with less shuffling yesterday, and got in a 1,500 yard swim this morning.  Hardest part was going down the steps into the pool, lol!  But getting better day by day.  First OWS practice of the season for me this  Friday, weather permitting.  I am most worried about wrestling my wetsuit on, but hopefully most of the soreness will be gone by then.  Also thinking about a bike ride for Saturday morning....may skip the group thing and just go at my own pace/distance to make sure proper recovery doesn't get derailed.  

+1 for Masters swimming.

And while you're there, my suggestion is to ask the coach on deck to take a look at your stroke. The overwhelming majority of Masters coaches are more than willing to make stroke corrections and give tips to those just starting out.

Excellent! This your first or have you done other IMs? Good luck & Happy training!

Whoo hoo!  Exited for you! 

I'm in Jim,  Carry the Super Frog HIM in Sept right into Palm Springs in Dec!  Love it!!!

Did a 4.35 mile run today.  Paced at 7:53, splits were, 8:32, 8:07, 7:29, 7:30, .35 @ 7:23

Try to spin tonight but it's my 3 year anniversary so we'll see if that works out...

Everyone seems to be kicking butt right now, keep up the good work all!

I may be in Palms Springs for the HITS IM with you guys.  I haven't purchased a ticket yet, but it is on the rough draft race calandar.  The water will be cold.  I am not sure about the elevation gain on the bike and run but the director told me the road quality is good for the bike.  Keep in mind that HITS will provide support to suppliment your race, but expect you to have some of your own food on the course.  So figure out your nutrition plan with this in mind.  Their maps are not up yet for palm springs, but they have included some elevation info to other this year so you get an idea of what things look like.  Their courses tend to run more challenigng, but I think Palms Springs is flatter.  The water will be in the 50's so a neopreme cap is recomended and I may pick up some socks of some kind to make my feet less numb.  Still a ways off though. 

HRM is good for doing speed work.  You want to hit certain intensity zones and HR is one way to see how hard you are working.  I use my HRM for key intensity workouts, sometimes use them for longer workouts to see what my HR is for say a 12 mile run at a 8:45 pace, etc.  You don't "need one," but if you are focusing on getting faster on the bike or run it can help a lot by giving you real time information about your performance etc.  

I'm trying to be good about not jumping back into full training mode too quickly.  My legs are a bit better today.... may go for a walk after work for a mile or 2, no jogging for a few more days I think.

Today's training twist -- a sinus & ear infection!

Have had a badly stuffed up head for a few days, and some painful ear pressure. Finally saw the doc yesterday, and had it confirmed I have both a sinus & right ear infection. Now on a regimen of antibiotics for the next several days. Fun! Doc told me to cut back on training intensity to let the body fight the way it should. Won't be easy or fun to do, though.

Wooohoooo, Jim has a grudge match with an ironman! The ironman is going down!

Mike and Ceril, sorry about the unplanned rest days.  But we do this for health, right?  Take care, rest up and feel better!

So many endorsements of masters swimming!  I looked at it, but it costs over twice as much as my gym membership (which has pool, treadmills, spin classes, etc. when needed).  And the lake where I OWS is free.  The lessons I took in Jan/Feb gave me quite a bit of a boost and things to work on, so I guess I'm leaving masters swim on my "someday" list for now, but it sure is tempting!

Ceril, that's good you will have some chances for OWS.  Before my first one, I went to an OWS clinic.  For sighting, the coach there suggested bringinging your eyes above water level just before rotating to breathe.  However, I prefer to breathe and then briefly look forward as I'm bringing my arm forward.  She said that was fine too.  Basic idea of both is to not really interrupt your stroke rythm much and keep your head/shoulders down as much as possible so your feet/hips don't sink.  Do it twice in a row if you need to get a better look.  Sight every 8 strokes (or more often) so as not to get too far off course.  Also gives you someting to count/focus on to minimize any panicky feelings.  Ha, ha, that is what you are supposed to do.  Now if only I could really follow all that great advice.  My biggest problem is that I sight too much, and will even come to a dead stop at times so I can really take a good look around. Will be working on that this season. 

I received this article as part of a newsletter yesterday, and thought I'd share it.  I have never felt particularly "gifted" as an athlete, and thought this was a really good perspective on that: http://teamwildathletics.com/about/wild-staff/mari-ruddy/the-gift/

The commute is an hour long so there is plenty of time to contemplate. Yesterday the mind went to thoughts of what a good work out feels like. The relaxed breathing, the light feet, and letting the body do what it does with the confidence in its strength to easily complete the day’s workout.

Establishing this positive mindset can be difficult. After getting home there is usually about 15 minutes to change into the running gear, collect water, a towel and swimming gear in order to get my daughter to her swimming practice on time. Top it off last night there was a track meet where I have been running. This was not stopping me yesterday and I quickly adjusted by hitting the roads around town.

The positive mind set was working! A 3.1 mile run was completed in about 33 minutes and given the impromptu change, and added hills which added to the challenge I was happy. Topped that off with a 900M breast stroke swim in less than 20 minutes when it suddenly hit me. The light bulb turned on and the previous weeks struggle became meaningful.

Perhaps the biggest breakthrough yesterday was not physical. I had been concern over how fatigued I was after some of these workouts and actually added more rest and tried to concentrate the swim by doing the distance in less time. So that seems to be working so far and the big mental breakthrough was that a 5K and 900M swim is 2/3rds of the Sprint Tri I have been training for. Holy #!*%#@. Then looking back at the records realized I have done this (or something close) 5 times in the last 2 weeks. No wonder I was tired.

Ok time to man up. There is still about 13 weeks to my introduction to Sprint Tri (7/28), I want to compete in my age group and prepare for bigger races next year. So I would be glad for input from the group here regarding my training and getting faster, I am sure I need to add more bike work… and What about transitioning to longer distances? I only have the one Tri race planned right now. Was considering adding the Timberman Sprint Tri but will have to convince my wife. Are races essential, or merely checks of progress?