Eriq's Mentor Group - CLOSED (Page 11)

Got a video of Allie Swimming today.  Will post tonight for training feedback....pending power stays on in the Boston snow storm.  We can't even go to the store or the state will fine us for driving.

Today's work out, was my first brick after starting my training january first.  Bike 7 miles - 23:30, run 2 miles 17 min (8 and then 9 min miles)  and then a 600 yard swim before the YMCA closed. 

I think "they" may be right about building a base before doing speed work.  My 38 days of training have been focused on building the base has paid some dividends.  My first brick didn't hurt and I actually did the first mile at 8 mins and was like wow, I can keep going but backed off to 9 min pace to be a little wise.

Focusing on building the foundation for the rest of Feb. with a few intense workouts in there.  But in March......I need a way to approach incorporating speed runs and higher pace rides.

Video later......

interesting... when you say your face is the only thing exposed, does that mean that the water line is right at your goggles, like right at the side of your eyes?

bobbing up and down? might be the result of your hand spearing too deeply when you breath. might also because of a dropped elbow.

any chance of getting a vid?

hope you and allie stay safe and warm.

great progress and congrats on that brick. sounds like it is going very well for you. let us know if you need advice/suggestions for adding speed work.

looking forward to the vid.

Just my face is exposed. not quite all the way to the side of my eyes, but pretty close. I think I may be spearing too deeply, when my hand enters the water, how far under the surface should it be? and what is the deepest my hand should be below the surface at the deepest point? should my elbow always be above my hand?

Hey folks, sorry for being quiet for the past few days.  I've been jammed with snow and work issues.  We only got 18ish inches of snow, and the Gov didn't order our roads shut, so we had it better than the folks in Mass and CT, but it still messed up alot of things.  

Not sure if shoveling the driveway and sidewalk, going sledding with my daughter and making a showman is a workout, but I was beat tired yesterday and quite sore all over.  

Had to clean off the car today, and then shoveled some more....it's been a long weekend. 

Hope to get some training done this week, but I'm working on my company's year-end audit and on the road late in the week, so this week may be a bit rough. But fingers crossed.

Hope everyone is doing well.

i've been taught to keep my fingertips close to the surface. if they're close to the surface, that means you are extending properly. that would mean your biceps are close to your chin/cheeks/ears as you are extended straight out. you can't really extend very far if you spear deep into the water and your biceps are below your face.

deepest point of the hand i wouldnt really worry about. i'd think more about keeping your elbow high. and i believe that it should always be higher than your hand. your hand should not drift above your elbow during extension. and during your pull, elbow should be higher than your hand. i've been told to think about having my elbow as close to the surface of the water as possible during the pull.

Hey Stephanie, good to hear you are doing better.

As far as doing a half marathon close to your race, I'd say it depends. If it will negatively impact your training due to having to recover from said effort, then I would say skip it. But if it won't have any effect on recovery and the last few weeks of your training, then go ahead, especially if you think it'll give you confidence going into your race.

Also, could you incorporate it into your training? Do you have a long run scheduled to around 13 miles close to your race? If so, just train through the race!

Was your fit recent? Fit does change with time and changes in flexibility and mobility. Could be just getting used to being in the saddle and using those core muscles to stabalize yourself on the bike. I'd say the same thing for the saddle. Just might some time to get accustomed. If it continues to bother you, then maybe try a new saddle. My wife swapped to a Serfas saddle and found improved comfort. Do you also use any chamois cream? That will probably help as well.

I guess I'll write my thoughts on saddles...

So saddles come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and cushions and are very individualized. Some people swear by ISM saddles with the cutout. I've never had any issues with my Fizik Arione Tri and ride a fairly aggressive position and rode in aero for at least 90% of the bike during IMAZ. The only way to find out is to experiment.

Of course, first and foremost, get a fit. This should help out tons with your comfort.

One thing you can experiment with is seat angle. If you ride in aero a lot, you might want to try to tilt your saddle down a bit. This may help due to the hips being rotated foward if you're in a proper aero position.

Riding in aero can also take getting used to. Make sure you give yourself some time to get accustomed to it. If you are not used to it, approach it like doing intervals. A few intervals of a few minutes and the next time, add another interval or make the intervals longer. Most people are just not used to riding a bike and will find discomfort but will get more comfortable as they spend more time in the saddle.

Riding on the road vs the trainer is also very different. Due to conditions of the road, you will make many micro adjustments and shift around. Not so much with the trainer and being stuck in the same spot for longer periods of time might be an issue.

It's easy to go from not riding a lot to riding a lot. There's not as much impact to the body as running so you feel better for longer. However in my experience it was more about time spent on my sit bones and other pressure zones rather than my legs giving out. So just like with running or any other endurance related stuff, just build moderately and give it some time. If you still find discomfort, then go look for a new saddle. No sense in rushing in and spending more money.

Sorry everyone. I am not trying to be silent but my life is pretty hectic right now.  It seems I get up and go till I go to bed.  We have had the unfortunate event of a pipe break in our house so our family of five has been in the hotel for over a month and being forced to eat out so our nutrition is not where we like it.  But we should be back in our house in about 2 weeks and hopefully life will return to normal. 

I am going to keep track of all the training for you.  This last week I swam approx. 8000 yards in 3 hours, ran for 4 hours, and biked 6 hours. 

So far my body has been very tired and fatiqued.  So I am looking at my nutrition more closely and will be trying to supplement that with some Hammer nutrition products.  My last run was like I was running through jello.  My body just seems to be wearing out with all the things going on.  I hope in two weeks it will begin to slow down and my body can begin to recover.  Give me some time and I will get my swim video up so you can let me know where I am lacking.  Thanks everyone.

still crazy times for you and your fam, Brian. if it were me, triathlon would be on the back burner and everything else would be a priority. take a bit of time to get properly recovered before jumping back into things. and not just physically, but more importantly mentally.

i used to use hammer with some success but once i went long course, it was tough to use since some of their products have a short life once you mix it. like perpetuem, it spoils rather quickly in warm weather only after 2-3 hrs. plus i didnt really like the taste of it when it wasnt cool.

but for workouts shorter than around 90 mins, you really shouldnt need any nutrition. if you are properly hydrated before, you should even be able to make it without water, unless it was a really warm day.

ugh! i hate that. last friday i was swimming in a lane by myself as i was a ton faster than the other people in the other two lanes. then 2 people came and instead join in the other lanes they started swimming circles in my lane... without notifying me. well, one did by swimming head on into me! so fine, i'm totally cool with sharing. however, these people were swimming so slow that i'd pass them on EVERY 50. they could have jumped in easily with the other lanes but no... DAMN THEM! =D

so goes another day swimming at the pool at the gym and not at an aquatic center type pool...

Hey y'all, hope your training is going well and that you are getting nice and strong for the upcoming season.

As for me, this week is my recovery week. i've put in a solid 3 weeks of base building so taking it easy. last year, i did my blocks in 4 weeks of hard work and 1 week of recovery. new coach, new year, so trying something new. plus it's still early as my A race will likely be later in the fall.

So let's talk recovery. This is probably the most important part of all your training. It's counter-intuitive! You figure you’d make all your gains while you’re in the pool, on the road, on the treadmill, on the trainer… while you’re killing yourself, right? I know I used to think this way, “You only get faster and stronger by doing hard work!” But it’s in the recovery that you get stronger.

After you’ve done the hard work, you need to give your body time to make those adaptations. This is when the real training effect will happen. When you do the work, you’re depleting those energy reserves and ripping and tearing muscle tissue. In your recovery, you allow those reserves and muscles to restore and repair. The body will build itself up bigger and stronger in anticipation of that doing hard work again, allowing you to go harder and longer (insert elementary school kid snicker here).

So listen to your body. If you are tired, worn down, having trouble getting through workouts, it may be time to build some recovery into your schedule. Might be a day, might be a week. You know your body better than anyone else so just listen to what it’s telling you. Believe me, you will not lose all that fitness you’ve gained by inserting a rest day or an easy week every now and then. If anything, it will help your overall progress and performance.

Happy training!

I actually used the last 4 days as rest and only stretched during my days while traveling. Yesterday I went in the pool after some reading and watching some videos and I am only slightly faster but can swim A LOT longer without being exhausted. I am making my reach long and gliding more. It seems to be working as my pull is stronger and I am given more time to catch the water.

Since this is my first year during tris and the snow is ground covered, I have been practicing transitioning bike to run after my trainer rides.

I train a wide range of cadences. But come race day, I'm usually between 85-95 when the grade is relatively flat.

Definitely try to separate hard days with "easier" days in between. Usually I'll put in a swim (hard or easy) in between a hard run and hard bike so that I'm giving my legs a bit of a break. I don't kick very hard or fast when swimming so it works well for me.

And glad to hear the intervals went well. "Challenging but doable" is a good place to be. Nothing too hard where you're unable to complete it but definitely hard enough where you have to dig to get the work done.

Keep up the great work!!!

Hi all,

Allie and I survived the storm.  22 inches and no power, heat or electricity for 3 nights and four days......yes you read it - 3 nights.  Allie in a ski cap, gloves with the covers pulled up and the ability to her breadth come out of her nose as she sleeps.

So  - tough week of training but got in a good 13 mile ride, 1 mile run (8 min pace) and 1,000 yards in the pool today.

We are working on getting the Allie swim video on Youtube to post for feedback.

Eric - would welcome ideas and approaches on adding speed work.  As you see I am trying to incorporate 1-2 bricks a week and do it with a little pace.  Ran 5 miles last night 9:30's and then pushed a 1 mile brick today at 8 min pace for only one mile.  Sweat was flying everywhere at the gym.

Great to read everyone's progress.  Keep pushing!  We have a long run planned this weekend.

Good training!!

CRAZY! that's why i live in southern california. i lived in utah for 2 yrs and hated the snow. glad to hear that you and allie are doing well.

to me, speed work is like walking a very fine line. you need to find that balance where you are pushing yourself hard enough to benefit, but not too hard where you greatly increase the risk of injury.

when i get a chance, i'll put together some example run speed workouts that everyone can incorporate into their plans.

one thing that it will require you to do is do a run field test. best done on a track as you can be pretty sure that it is a 0% grade through and through. so about a 2 mile warmup, then 1 mile ALL OUT MAX! this 1 mile time can then be used to calculate paces appropriate for your training paces.