COgirl's Group - FULL (Page 11)

HEY all!  How's it going? 

Good luck Kendra on your first brick!  That is something to celebrate!  You're legs might feel like jello to start, but it feels better fast.

Kaci - I honestly don't know the origin of "brick!"  LOL! 

I have a running race tomorrow.  And what do you think our weather is?  You guessed it....SNOW.  And not JUST snow, but wind too with blizzard conditions.  Sounds like a blast!

I just got back from FL late Fri night. I missed a lot of workouts. Cathy, I think I was in FL for the tail end of the bad weather. On Tues the sun came out and it was really nice the rest of the week. I went to the local Y and ran Mon. and went to a spin class on Wed. I ate way too much all week. I need to get in gear and do some serious shopping for a bike. I was going to look before going to FL but I ran out of time.

Cathy, Good luck on your race. Do they still have a race if it's blizzard conditions?

Heather, Your bike looks great! Did you get it at one of the LBS? I hope your hip is doing better.

Kendra, Good luck on the 1/2 marathon!

Zoya, I love the picture of your backyard. It looks pretty.

Good Luck with training this week!

Mel

Well the race went surprisingly well for a layer of solid ice on the road.  We didn't get as much snow as they said, but the wind was crazy!  The last 4 miles of the race was into a pretty strong headwind! 

Kendra - bummer about the bike!  but you'll have plenty of chances to do that brick  

Zoya - assuming that is your backyard....it is beautiful!  snow and all!  And what do you mean "not again!"....you guys had spring all winter long until recently!

Mel - welcome back!  no worries on the workouts.  I missed all of my workouts in FL but one and then last week wasn't much better.  But it's time to refocus.....we'll get through it together!

Hope you are all well.  February is almost over!  amazing.

Hi Heather!  The race was a 10 mile run.  On ice and with lots of wind.  It was nuts.  And even nuttier, my longest run post baby was 8 miles, so I can't say I was well prepared for this!  Yeah well, I survived! 

A brick is when you do 2 workouts back to back, typically biking then switching as fast as possible to running.  It is good practice before your races!  You will at least know how your legs feel running off the bike! 

Have a great trip and hang in there!  You are doing great!  And very cool that you are getting clearance for the bike! 

I have not, but my husband has.  I think you swim one lane, back and forth before you switch to the next lane, so you might be able to do a flip turn on 1/2 of the turns?  But it totally depends on the race.....many indoor swims are different!  Some will just have you in one lane instead of snaking. 

they typically group people by their projected times for the distance.  And usually 4-6 in a lane!  I'm sure you know this already, but for the benefit of others, if you are swimming in a lane with that many people and feel a tap on  your foot, then someone wants to pass you....if you are close to the end of the lane, just wait there, let them pass and then go on yourself. 

When is this race you are talking about? 

I see there are a lot of races at Lake Anna in VA.  I spectated there in October for grvfrog doing a double Ironman.  It was pretty crazy with lots of rain.  I ran a few laps with her....must be boring running 52 miles by yourself.  Anyway, that is a beautiful place for a triathlon!  Someday, maybe I'll come out there and do one. 

You'll be fine!  Just wait until you have an open water swim (OWS)!  That is CRAZY.  I am not a fast swimmer, so I position myself out of the way of people who would run me over.

I had my first Tri training group meeting yesterday. There are only 4 of us in the group. We are going to be meeting once a week and she is going to give us our training plan each time we meet for the following week. The other people in the group are all doing different races. The lady that is running the group told me to go to a LBS that will give me 15% off on a bike.

Cathy, I went over to the LBS today and spoke with them for awhile. I've received a lot of different info from people on what to get. Should I get clipless or clip? Should I get a bike with aerobars or not? Should I just use my running shoes, bike shoes or tri shoes? He also said it would be $100 to fit my bike. Is that the normal amount? Heather had mentioned the LBS she went to so I'm going to go check them out.

I hope everyone is having a good week!

Mel

well now there's a great deal right there! 

Often if you buy a new bike from a shop, they will do the fit for free.....but that isn't a guarantee!  I'm sure that could be negotiated too.  I have heard of bike fits that cost from $75 to $225, so I think $100 is pretty decent! 

I definitely recommend the clipless pedals that you need to use bike shoes with.  You have an increase in speed AND your own power by using them.  You can "pull up" on the pedals as opposed to just pushing down with the other style. 

Aerobars.....well, that is a personal choice.  It will increase your speed as you are less resistant when riding.  An option could be adding clip-on aerobars later, but you have to make sure the top tube of the bike is short enough that you could get into the aerobars comfortably. 

Shoes.....the less velcro the better.  Tri shoes usually have 1-2 straps.  Normal roadie shoes often have 3 straps. 

The most impt thing is that the bike fits you!  You have to be comfortable on it, or you will hate it!  Take the bikes you are looking at outside for a spin if possible.  Every brand feels different. 

And if anything I said doesn't make sense or you need further clarification, let me know!  I'm happy to answer any questions!  And a bike purchase is a big deal, so it has to be right! 

I know it's hard to enjoy a sport when you hate it!  LOL!  I used to feel that way about swimming, but I've gotten over that now. 

Anyway, anything you can do to distract yourself from the fact that you are running is helpful!  haha, that was great advice, huh?

Are you doing a 5K race or do you mean the 5K that is part of your sprint tri?  You are allowed to walk in the race if needed, a lot of people do! 

Of course, I would tell you to bump up the running to 3 times a week, but you will be able to do your tri with 2x a week of running.  So do you have to run more?  NO.  Depends on what your goal is for your race.....if you want speed, then you should probably run more.  If you want to just finish, then what you are doing already is great!  What IS your goal? 

Cathy, Thanks for all the info.! As always you are a wealth of info. I looked at some tri shoes on this website: http://www.sunrisecyclery.com. The sizes are listed differently they start at 32 (european sizes?) Do you know what size that would be in regular sizes? I wear a 9 1/2 so I'm not sure what size that would be.

Do I need to get a bike trainer? Is there a specific one that you recommend? Do they fit any bike?

Are all helmets the same or are there specific features I should be looking for? Do I need bike gloves and do most people wear these during a race?

Heather, I'm sending you a pm.

Heather & Kendra, I'm not a runner either. Maybe I'll grow to like it someday. My brother runs marathons and he loves to run. I find it really boring. I'd much rather swim or bike.

I hope everyone is doing well this week!

Mel

countregirl - 2007-03-02 6:40 AM good question Cathy--- I guess my original goal was to finish in the alloted time and still is and to learn to ride the bike. I went to spin class and then ran a mile right after today then did abs. Still frustrated with my weight. Have to starve myself to lose DAMN metabolism! Oh well I will keep pluggin along! Heather

Then I think you will be just fine with 2x a week running!  As far as the weight, maybe add in some interval work on your biking?  Just to mix it up....sometimes that is a jump start to losing wt again.  You could do one minute fast, 3 mins normal on the bike?  You can do the same with running.  But when you do interval work like that, only do it one time per week for each sport (though swimming doesn't really count....you do interval work for that all the time).  Hang in there!

YAY!  That will so exciting!  We'll all be cheering you on as you are racing from cyberspace!

If you can, consider going back to the bike shop just to try on different size shoes.  They need to be tight....not cramped, but tight.  I think a 9.5 would be about a 41-42? 

If the weather keeps you from riding outside, whether it is rain or cold or snow, then a trainer is a great thing to have.  Or if you like to get your workouts done when it is dark, a trainer is good then too.  I recommend a fluid trainer - they're smooth and quieter than the magnetic trainers.  Any brand is fine.....I have a Performance Bike brand, and they go on sale a lot. 

some helmets have more air vents or are more aero.  Any helmet that looks good on your head and matches your bike is fine!  (lol!).  Where you live, it can be pretty hot and humid, so it might be good to have lots of air vents!