Slornow and Wannabefaster's Winter Group version 3-CLOSED (Page 11)

Hi Nelson!  I'm not sure I'm actually in this group.  I grovelled to the mentors after it was technically "closed" and I've not heard back.  I am hoping to be! 

I have no connection to Calgary whatsoever...I live in Idaho.  Mainly, I was looking for half IMs that looked interesting that were within driving distance from home.  I've never been to Calgary and it looked like a great race, so there you have it!  The Black Diamond is a group of tris of varying distances a bit south east of Seattle.  That series is in mid September.  I wanted to try to do two 70.3s this year, so I was considering that one in addition to Calgary. 

I'm still learning to navigate this site...is there a quick way to find out if people have responded to your posts that I'm missing?  Thanks for your help, if you know.

Anyway, I hope to be in this group and to be able to chat w/you as we both ready for Calgary!  You will have a great advantage being from there...you'll know that course.  I have envy!  If I ever step up to the full IM, I'll get that in Coeur d'Alene.  It has to be a pretty nice feeling to KNOW you can do the course.  The scariest thing about racing Lake Stevens last year was hearing about the hills and seeing the elevation charts, but not really knowing how they would be.  I trained hills like crazy...in the end, they really weren't that bad. 

Have a fabulous New Years!  I'll look forward to keeping up with you here!

Cheers!

Hi Blanda,

Thanks for the note.  You are a running rockstar!  You go girl!  I run as little as possible now...the theory is to save my knees for the races.  It can be frustrating b/c I do pretty well in the swim/bike portions and then lose it in the runs, but at least I get to be out there participating!  I just enjoy the days! 

I'm not sure if I'm officially in this group b/c it was technically "closed" when I grovelled to be let in.  So, we'll see what the mentors say.  I'm hoping I'm in...you all seem great and a good match for me. 

I'd love to know how you like the XTerra race (which I've no doubt you'll be amply ready for...).  I've been looking at those b/c they are sometimes off road and that would make my knees happy!  I'm not skilled w/the mountain bike though, so they are a little spooky in that regard.  There is one in Moab that looks cool. 

I like your goals for 2014.  They are pretty consistent with mine!  I'd add that I want to ramp up my work too... other than that, I'm all in with you!  I started the paleo diet yesterday.  Good so far.  I'm actually going to skip a New Year's party tonight so that I can stay "clean" w/the diet and get up and run tomorrow.  Baby steps. 

Have a great New Years and thanks for the reach out!  Hope I can be in the group and stay in touch!

Erika

Oh WOOHOOOO!!!!   You just made my day...maybe my season!  Thanks so much! 

Two members already reached out...one was the Calgary 70.3 guy...Nelson?  I'm very excited. 

OK, have a fabulous New Year!  I look forward to being a part of this group so much.

It is going to be an AWESOME 2014!!!!

Yay!  I'm in!  OK, so it is official...they let me into the group and so I'm looking forward to chatting with you as Calgary approaches! 

Happy 2014!

Erika

QUESTION! With the end of the year only a day away its time to reflect a bit. What triathlon related accomplishment are you most proud of in 2013? It can be losing weight, a new run PR etc. but needs to be related, in some way, to triathlons or training.

Hmmm...I think the fact that I started exercising and dropped 50 lbs was a cool accomplishment of 2013...mostly though, it was finding my inner athlete again (she was hiding beneath the fat layers) and completing the Lake Stevens IM 70.3.  2014 will be the year that I make that stick...inner athlete girl forever triumphs over fat girl!  Inner athlete girl becomes just "athlete girl."  A smaller, but no less important accomplishment of 2013 was the ability to stop my bike without crashing b/c I couldn't get out of the dang peddles fast enough...just sayin'...

Relative to the discussion about nutrition...I alternated the GU and Honey Stinger gels every 45 minutes, Accellerade sips on the 20 min marks, and Honey Stingers waffle thingies for a treat at the half way mark of a long bike ride.  I loved those, but they do get crumbly in a bento box, so they are tough to eat on the fly.  On race day, I kept a banana in the transition area and took a bite of that in my bike/run transition.  There is a product called Skratch (can get it online) that I liked a lot for bike training rides too...organic and easy on the gut. 

I really think you just have to experiment to find what products, what amounts, and what frequencies work best for you...everyone seems to be different and there is no magic "right" formula.  After doing the half, I imagine that the hardest part of the full IM is getting the nutrition right...seems like it is that which will make or break your race from the half distance up.  Having never done one though, I am only guessing. 

Anyway, thanks to Jason and Randy for letting me in this group even though I was tardy...

Best to all of you for a fabulous 2014!  I look forward to getting to know you all in the coming year.

Erika

Thanks!  Will look forward to your thoughts on knees.  Last year, I just babied them until the race days.  It meant slow run segments, but it also meant I finished the races with a smile!  All good. 

Thanks for the kudos!  I've got to lose 30 of those 50 all over again, dang it...but I'll do it.

Erika

Paul's surgery was a success.  The surgeon was able to use 5 pins to secure various broken floating fragments so they didn't need to open him up and insert a plate.  Very good outcome.  I am sure the pain tonight and tomorrow will stink, but we are prepared with the meds and an alarm clock to ensure proper dosing.  In 8-10 weeks this will be behind us.

I like something Jason said about putting triathlon into perspective.  It would be very easy for me to be all "woe is me" over my season, but I'm not because I've done just that, put things in perspective a while ago.  So, I'll focus on what I am really pleased with in 2013--BREAKING MY 2007 MARATHON PR AT AGE 50 AND GETTING THE CHANCE TO DO BOSTON IN THIS VERY SPECIAL YEAR!!  I trained hard for it, in ways I'd not done before and it worked.

I absolutely love reading what everyone else accomplished this year.  Keep them coming!

Can I ask the group on favor?  Would everyone in the group be willing to open up their training logs to the mentor group?  I like to inspire people and I've noticed at least one person has a restricted log.  If you're not comfortable doing it, that is ok too!  

I'd be happy to open my log up to the mentor group; but, I didn't see a privacy setting for that.  I added you as a friend, so you should be able to see it.  (Last June and July were much prettier than this month!  LOL!)  If there is a way to open it to everyone in the group at once, let me know and I'll do it!

Congrats on your PR!  Boston will be awesome too!  You go girl!

Loved reading everyone's proudest accomplishments for 2013...can't wait to see what we all do in 2014!

Erika

Suzy-I was going to ask the same thing. Glad the surgery went well

If everyone will add the other members of the group as "friends" then I believe thay allows access to your training log. One of the ways you can do this is to click on the person's screen name at the upper left of a post. There should be an option to add as a friend.

Also, I would encourage folks to enter their training in the BT Training Log. Certainly not required but it does make it easier to answer specific training questions if you have logged it here. I've been doing it here on BT since I started several years ago. Its a pretty good log and I like being able to look back at past years. 

Kevin is a go, but Erika is not, even after adding to my friends list.  Wonder how we fix that?!?!?

Is anyone in the group going out tonight to celebrate the New Year?  We are obviously on the couch. I'll probably be in bed at my usual time.  Plan to kick off 2014 with a bike and hopefully a swim (assuming we're not snowed in again!).

I've set my 2014 goals in my log.  Now that they're visible to the group there is no turning back now!

Sorry, this got long.

OK, my turn. In general I would have to say the biggest accomplishment/realization for me is that I am capable of much more than I ever thought I could accomplish. I don't mean that in a conceited or bragging way. In fact, I often look at race results and think how in the hell can someone swim/bike/run and race that fast.....just not possible. But believing you are capable of "surprising" yourself is the first step. I know I said one thing but I realized this one thing on two different occasions this year:

1. At USAT Age Group Nationals I raced the olympic on Saturday and the sprint on Sunday. In the olympic I had a good race finishing in 2:15:40 and 29/160 in my age group. I did AG Nats in 2010 and finished in 2:38 finishing 50/69 in AG. I didn't feel like I had a full tank for the sprint on Sunday but pushed hard throughout and had one of my best runs of the year. Crossed the line in 1:10:18 for a 16/82 in the age group qualifying for a spot on Team USA for the World Cahmpionships in Edmonton. I remember being in awe of the "fast" guys at the race in 2010 and wondering how they could do it. Like Jason pointed out with his swimming and his training.....its consistency in training. Get out the door. Give a workout 10-15 minutes and if you still feel like quitting then bag it. I suspect it will rarely happen.  While no individual workout will make or break your race you build your fitness and performance capabilities one workout at a time.

2. Alabama Coastal Olympic Sept. 2013-this had been my first olympic distance race in Sept. 2009 and my 2nd triathlon. In 2009 I finished in 2:38 (swim was short) and I spent most of the swim doing an ugly backstroke and wondering why the hell was I thrashing around in the Gulf doing this crap. My T1 was just shy of 5 minutes as I was just glad to be on dry land and debated continuing. Survived the rest of the race in brutal heat ending up 74/281. Thought I was going to die at the end. This year I came into the race a little burned out from lots of racing and unmotivated. This year the swim was 2 laps in a choppy Gulf with the usual heat and humidity. Really surprised myself with a good race....way beyond my most optimistic goals finsihing in 2:13:13 for 7/295 overall and an olympic PR. Finished ahead of a few guys that were the "fast" guys I was in awe of when I started doing this stuff.  

I really hope this does not come off as bragging. Not meant to be that at all. What I have realized and am trying to get across is that no matter where you start with your fitness level you can make huge strides in the coming weeks, days, months and years. There are ups and downs but the thrill of doing something you didn't think you were capable of doing trumps all those tough days.

I hope Mary/Chunga posts on this. Her accomplishments over the last year are phenomenal and trump any PR or result I had racing this year. So, chime in Mary. 

THE END!