Asphalt Junkies Spring 2013 - Closed (Page 112)

DirkP - 2013-05-03 4:18 AM

So, here is where the new mentor group is headed.  All of the mentors, myself included, are feeling a bit of job and family related activities or concerns might impede our ability to keep up a heavy pace that seems typical when we begin a new session with new members.  It seems to get really crazy once things kick off as we try to get to know some of the new people and answer all of the questions. 

This session we are going to have a smaller group than we planned for the winter session.  Last time we allowed for 15 people in the overall group and this time we will be dialing back to 12 overall.  This will help in a variety of ways:

• The new member total will be much lower because all of the interest currently from all of you to remain in the group.  This will keep some of the "social" aspects of learning each other down and allow for an easier day to day activity level.
• The repetitive questions that sometimes occur from new group members wouldn't be so significant.  Our current group knows each other fairly well and we can recall various aspects of each others training habits, injuries, etc. to properly provide guidance or encouragement as needed.
• It will allow myself and the other mentors fair time to commit to training, racing and most importantly family time.  I cannot speak for the other mentors but I myself stress occasionally about making sure I am involved in the group as much as possible.  At times, when I've been absent for brief periods, I will feel the strain to get back in the group despite having other things I need to do, whether work, home of family life.

Finally, as the new group starts we are in the beginning days of storm season for me, Warren's employer has been bought out, Jeff and Jonathan's jobs have become more busy.  I would like to communicate with you all that as a mentor I may sometimes not attempt to keep up with all of the social aspect of each person via all of the postings.  I will read them for sure, but posting for each person takes some time and time posting is time away from other things.  Please don't be offended if I or other mentors don't post regarding each of your questions, social comments, etc.  I doubt this will be any issue because we have all come to know each other fairly well and I think most of what I have stated is assumed.

Finally (yeah, the last finally wasn't the real finally), I currently have 9 mentee's that would like to stay in the group:

Dina, Jackie, Jen, Karl, Matt, Samantha, Tony, Tracy, Will..........

.......And making a comeback to the Junkies will be the smilingest triathlete........Brenda

That will bring the total ringing in the summer session to 10, leaving room for 2 new members.

I will be posting in the mentor staging area in a little while.  Once I complete that I'll post the link here and everyone that's interested can follow the link and post in the group before it officially opens guaranteeing a spot.

jenbmosley - 2013-05-04 7:24 PM

Quick race recap, hoping to write up a race report later.

Overall: 25/53, 8th female, 2nd in my age group.

400 yard Swim-10:05

10 mile Bike- 34:12 (17.6 mph)

5k Run - 26:17

My tired 2yr old was very clingy and I didn't know if she was going to let me race, even seconds before the race, but she did. I didn't panic in the water. Yay! Got some redemption on the bike and felt like I only gave 80% on the run; I was cruising along and didn't realize the end of the race came so quickly - great feeling to know I can run faster.

DirkP - 2013-05-04 8:55 PM

Sounds like a great race today!  I am ready to read that RR as soon as you get it up.

Did they split the transition times out too?  How did your transitions go?

__________

Here's my log from my ride today.  It was pretty brutal from start to finish, especially for a long ride.  I was at threshold HR for an average for 56 miles.  I used my roadie rather than my TT bike since I was riding in a group.  The group I was riding in had a lot of really strong riders that are regular racers.  I somehow caught these guys and was able to hang on through the whole ride.  But only barely!!!

The first 8 miles by myself (with no WU) I averaged 25.3 MPH and an average HR of 164 (which is my MLSS).  I cannot imagine catching those guys without a tailwind!

Effort: Mod/Hard
Weather: 64/64 Wind: 11/24
Well this ride didn't start well as all for me! I got to the meet 5 minutes late and the group was gone. I had seen them about a half mile from the meet at a crossroads and knew I'd have to cook to catch them. I parked and darted for my bike and shoes and sprinted off in a chase. The Bee's were just in front of me and I caught them before they were hardly even rolling. As I passed, one of the riders called out: "My word!" because I was cruising rather fast already.
I had a tailwind which I thought might save me but I was working really hard with no WU. I wasn't sure I would ever catch them. For most of the chase I could see them off in the distance but never certain I would have the ability to actually catch them. At about 6.5 miles I was able to catch a few riders that had already been dropped. As I cruised on by they shouted "go get 'em!" and I tried to keep my keep my pace.
There were a few rollers throughout this ride but it was these first 8 miles where I thought I might lose my chance to catch the main group. The hills challenged me but I finally made it to the leaders and was looking for a serious recovery for a while. Luckily the group was large enough that I was able to catch my wind and recovery for a fairly long period of time before my first pull came.
The rest of the ride with the group was fairly hard. There were a lot of Fasties in this group with many of them being regular racing cyclists. The entire ride was at a really fast clip even when we turned into the wind for the trip home we had some pretty good miles with a stiff headwind. The last 10 miles, or maybe a little less, I was struggling a bit. I was unwilling to give in and fall behind the lead group despite about 4-5 other riders falling off the back. I was really tempted to drop back but I am so glad I stayed up front.
Great ride!

RunningYogini - 2013-05-04 11:50 PM

We've been archived! 

Anyway....we're in Albuquerque, NM at the RRCA National Conference.  (Road Runners Club of America).  Our truck was broken into last night.  The bastards broke the lock to get in and stole my son's diaper bag.  I hope they enjoy the pull-ups, sunscreen, toddler clothes, dog leash and granola bars.

The conference is great!  We met Meb (can't spell last name).  He is an amazing man.  He, genuinely wanted to talk to each and every person.  I ran into him (almost literally) after one of the education sessions and he wanted to know my name and ask about my running.  My husband and son got a picture with him.

We, also, met Chester Nez, the last surviving original WW2 Navajo code talker.  Wow!  The munchkin and I got to have our picture taken with him!  What an honor!  Since I was a kid, I was amazed by this little bit of history.

Anyway.....great conference!  I'm learning a lot!  I'm running a little bit, too.

strikyr - 2013-05-05 1:15 AM

Did they split the transition times out too?  How did your transitions go?

jgerbodegrant - 2013-05-04 9:49 AM

Week two of no added sugar for me.  It's actually pretty easy once you get past the first week.  I no longer crave it.  Thank God!!

I'm also into three weeks of doing pretty consistent weight training.  What a difference it makes!  I feel pretty tired at the end of the week now, but my runs are getting faster from the leg work. 

Looking forward to the Summer group.  Looks like some of you jumped the gun prior to letting the mentors put bio's up.  I like the excitement!

Jen, I LOVE racing in the rain.  Enjoy it!

jenbmosley - 2013-05-05 7:38 AM

Review posted - http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=486943

53 people did the sprint, 25 people did the Olympic course.

It rained all night Friday and stopped about 4:00 a.m. It drizzled lightly throughout the race, making for a damp bike course and the rain really started coming down around noon. The weather made for a gray and choppy swim in the wind. I considered making this my first Oly; a few ladies in our tri club are seasoned HIM racers. They both said that the race swim for the Oly race yesterday was tougher than any HIM swims thay have done.

My T1 time was decent, but my T2 time was not.

T1 - 1:32, included getting my wetsuit off. My wetsuit got stuck on my timing chip on my left ankle. How do you guys deal with this?

T2 - 1:02, My goal was to keep with under 50 seconds, hhmmm.... what happened? I think I need more practice getting out of my clips on my bike.. I am still a newbie with clips n such and moving through the motions still requires mental effort instead of automatic movements.

Overall, I am pretty happy with my race. This was not an "A" race and my goal was to not panic in the water and find my groove in the water sooner. I found my groove right away and stayed calm the whole way; even found myself having to swim around others (a totally new experience for me). I also didn't get startled when I was kicked or hit by other swimmers.

My bike leg was decent and my run was pretty good.

The toughest part of the race - getting there with my 2 yr old and 4 yr old, and having to hip the toddler up until the last second.I had to hip her, carry my gear in a backpack, steer my bike with my wetsuit on my handlebars all the way to the transition area. I was even in transition getting my wetsuit on with her whining to be picked up by mommy. Yes, I got looks from people. Seconds before the swim, I didn't even know if she was going to let me race, but she did and I got to wave at them after the swim, after the bike and as I finished the run. That part was awesome.

I've been training longer distances and the long, slow easy paces threw me off a bit, especially on the run. I didn't wear a watch or a heart rate monitor. I raced without a watch on purpose. Normally, I wouldn't. But, with the short distance, I didn't want to play mental games with myself as if I were way behind or ahead so I should slow down. I just listened to my body. Due to longer training sessions, I didn't find my groove on the run till the second mile (course wasn't really marked either). I sprinted the last tenth mile, but felt like I had still had so much more to give. That feeling gves me confidence to tackle an Olympic, just need to log more mils on the bike.  

 

 

Jo63 - 2013-05-05 8:22 AM Dirk: it's all good . And nice ride! Tony: Nice ride too! Tracy sorry about your car, have a great time. Jen congrats on your race! I know how nervous I get before I race, I can't imagine how hard it would be with making sure your kids were taken care of too, you are awesome! I had my HM yesterday with an official time of 2:18:46 my goal was 2:16 so Iam pretty pleased with this! We had a great time! My sons girl friend can't wait for the next and my daughter finally got her drive back, her goal was to run under 2 hrs she did 1:57:26 and shes excited to keep training and maybe tackle a tri! I will get a RR up hopefully today. I have a 4:30 bike ride today and am finding it a little hard to drag myself out of the house i am having a little hip and shoulder issue not sure what that's about. On the bright side it is supposed to be nice out again so I had better get moving!

michgirlsk - 2013-05-05 12:37 PM Hey guys, re: the summer junkie group... I have decided I won't be joining the new mentor group so please disregard the post I made there! My elbows have gotten so bad I can hardly do any everyday necessary activities without help. I just don't see myself being able to be an active participant there, as I've hardly been posting here lately as using a computer is a pain literally, and I think it would be better for my spot to go to someone who would be able to benefit. Plus at this point with the tri season starting I just don't even have a clue what, if any, races I'll be doing this year because there's so much uncertainty if I will physically be able to do any. Right now I'm just trying to keep moving... That said I will likely lurk on the summer thread It's been great being a part of this group for however long I've been a part of it!

mambos - 2013-05-05 1:28 PM Jen, Joanne great races! I love that we're to the point of year that someone has a race almost every weekend. I think it helps to remind what we have to look forward to. As for me, after reading everyone's posts yesterday about spectacular bike rides, I figured it was time for me to get moving. I hadn't done anything since the half marathon last Sunday. So....40 mile ride today in 2hr 22m and an average speed of 17.2mph. Not too bad considering at some points the headwind was almost brutal, for a 5 mile stretch, I averaged 14mph with my hr rate above 145! And this came at mile 25. After this I was a little spent and couldn't really hold a steady effort and had a lot of free spinning, something to definitely work on! But since I only had 87miles total in April, a 40 mile day is nothing to shake at! now to finish this garden I was conned into!

Jo63 - 2013-05-05 8:22 AM Dirk: it's all good . And nice ride! Tony: Nice ride too! Tracy sorry about your car, have a great time. Jen congrats on your race! I know how nervous I get before I race, I can't imagine how hard it would be with making sure your kids were taken care of too, you are awesome! I had my HM yesterday with an official time of 2:18:46 my goal was 2:16 so Iam pretty pleased with this! We had a great time! My sons girl friend can't wait for the next and my daughter finally got her drive back, her goal was to run under 2 hrs she did 1:57:26 and shes excited to keep training and maybe tackle a tri! I will get a RR up hopefully today. I have a 4:30 bike ride today and am finding it a little hard to drag myself out of the house i am having a little hip and shoulder issue not sure what that's about. On the bright side it is supposed to be nice out again so I had better get moving!

michgirlsk - 2013-05-05 12:37 PM Hey guys, re: the summer junkie group... I have decided I won't be joining the new mentor group so please disregard the post I made there! My elbows have gotten so bad I can hardly do any everyday necessary activities without help. I just don't see myself being able to be an active participant there, as I've hardly been posting here lately as using a computer is a pain literally, and I think it would be better for my spot to go to someone who would be able to benefit. Plus at this point with the tri season starting I just don't even have a clue what, if any, races I'll be doing this year because there's so much uncertainty if I will physically be able to do any. Right now I'm just trying to keep moving... That said I will likely lurk on the summer thread It's been great being a part of this group for however long I've been a part of it!

Jo63 - 2013-05-05 10:33 PM Matt, nice ride ! Sam I am so sorry you are still having so much trouble with your elbows, I hope You can figure something out soon. My hip thing I didn't feel at all on my ride and after it didn't hurt at all it must of just tightened up from yesterday but it's all good now. My shoulder is just in need of a good massage I will have to schedule one with our therapist this week. My ride went pretty good, it was really cold and windy and I didn't dress warm enough so went out for 2 1/2 hours then finished inside, i was able to finally conquer a hilly part of my usual ride with out having to rest at the last hill yeah! Once inside though I did cut the ride by 45 minutes I was starting to feel really exhausted and I know this can be a good thing but right now it brings back bad memories My son and his girlfriend didn't leave till late so no RR until tomorrow it's time for bed!

DirkP - 2013-05-06 4:35 AM

Had you taken in any calories for your ride?  If I am reading your post correctly, it sounds that you were planning a 3:15 ride.  If you went that long without any nutrition I'm not surprised you felt like you were exhausted.  Depending on your body weight you should be looking at a caloric intake something like 150 calories an hour for 120 pounds.  You can short cut that if you are trying to train your body to be more efficient or trying to lose weight, but I would not ride that long without taking in about half those calories. 

I would also have something more close by in case things began to feel like you were draining quickly.  Something that would be absorbed into your system pretty quickly.  For me Clif Shot Bloks seem to be one of the things that hit my system the quickest.

RunningYogini - 2013-05-04 10:50 PM

We've been archived! 

Anyway....we're in Albuquerque, NM at the RRCA National Conference.  (Road Runners Club of America).  Our truck was broken into last night.  The bastards broke the lock to get in and stole my son's diaper bag.  I hope they enjoy the pull-ups, sunscreen, toddler clothes, dog leash and granola bars.

The conference is great!  We met Meb (can't spell last name).  He is an amazing man.  He, genuinely wanted to talk to each and every person.  I ran into him (almost literally) after one of the education sessions and he wanted to know my name and ask about my running.  My husband and son got a picture with him.

We, also, met Chester Nez, the last surviving original WW2 Navajo code talker.  Wow!  The munchkin and I got to have our picture taken with him!  What an honor!  Since I was a kid, I was amazed by this little bit of history.

Anyway.....great conference!  I'm learning a lot!  I'm running a little bit, too.