GrooveTime!group - CLOSED!!! (Page 117)

M -

I too love the image of the bike gloating in the garage. ("Heh, heh, heh"....)

You have witnesses? Teenagers? My good money says each of those teens had a cellphone in hand, and took photos as it happened, and have posted it on YouTube or something, and aby now there have been 689,409 "hits" on you and your tumble. JUST KIDDING!!(Well, at least they had the decency to come over and offer assistance!)

Are you keeping Polysporin on the scrapes and all? If there are any bigger, uglier places, Tegaderm (ask your pharmacy) will protect them really well.

CATHY -

I don't know about how fast some of those races will fill, but you know that Smiths Falls and Sydenham will still have posts available on the morning of. And Ktown was very late opeing registartion this year, so you probably still have at least a month before it might possibly conceivably be time to think about woorying about it closing out. Is it the long or short Ktown you're looking at? I think you said the long one before, yes?

And B2B has resurafced in your thinking, eh? Intriguing!

It's 5am now, and I've been up since 3:30, so it's back to bed with me. Good morning, all!

KASIA -

But before I try for more sleep, I just want to say YIPPEE! You've found us here in the archives, and you're back! And you're a Padres fan!

More later.

Zzzzzzz............
??

KASIA -

I would figure DeSoto stuff would have something that would fit you. I will keep thinking about what I think I might know about this, but better still.....

My best advice would be to call Tri-Zone and ask to speak with Gayla. If she's still there, she is wonderful to work with, period, but I'm sure she could give you all the details on specifics of women's sizing and what would work best for you. If she doesn't answer, just ask for her - she really is superbly open and friendly, and knows the market inside and out.

Another option is to go to www.slowtwicth.com, click forums, click "women's", and either do a search or just register yourself and ask all the questions you want. There is probably an all-female forum here at BT, but I am so lame at exploring these sites that I just haven't discovered it. (I needed someone else to tell me there were the specific forums for IM and HIM races!!!)

A 17-second difference???? For 25m? Like, one length only??? Okay, either you were doing VERY few strokes per length, or you are naturally a pretty darn good swimmer who can click off good times, catch-up or not. For 25m (or ft), what is your regular time?

With catch-up, you don't want any "dead spots". that is, you don't wnat to glide so much that you come to practically a standstill before initiating the next pull. I think Steve mentioned this a couple of weeks ago, and it is a very good thing to keep in mind. One reason why this might be happening - if it is indeed the case with you - is that you are almost slow-motioning everything. The only part you wnat any slower in the complete stroke cycle is the slight hesitation where you keep the one arm fully extended until the other one catches up to it. But then that hand does everything else - pull, recover, enter, extend - at normal speed. Makes sense?

I saw most of their big inning against Atlanta! There was nothing cheap about any of those runs, and I wasn't sure either that the Atlanta pitcher was just throwing big old cherries up there. The Pads just seem to have their hitting eyes and hitting strength fully operational. Could it be........???

Hey all,

M, I hope the fall wasn't too bad and the recovery is quick!

Kasia, welcome back. Any updates on the bike??

Anne, (I hope its you on the trip, if not whomever it is. I apologize for forgetting names), I hope the trip is going well and I wish I were in Florida for the nice weather.

Not a whole lot new with me here. Almost through Friel's beginner book and I quite like it. More so than the Dummie's (or guide to, whichever it is). But I can also see how he is a bit technical for some people. No talk of swim technique though, which so far is about the only thing negative I can say about it.

Training wise I am on week 5 of Fitz's level 5 sprint plan. Not sure entirely what I've been thinking, but I am getting through most everything. Maybe not with ease, but I am getting it done. Albeit changing up days and what not. Hardest thing right now is getting my behind out of bed at 4:45am to go to the pool. Tried twice now and no dice. I can't fathom going to bed at 8:30 to make sure I get my rest. I'm going to keep trying though...

Speaking of swimming I had my own success that I've been fairly proud of. I was to do 3x200 lactate intervals with a 45 second rest. My prior pace for 200 was about 4 min. Pretty consistent for 8 sets of that. Well, giving it a bit more I accomplished the 3 sets in 3:22, 3:26 and 3:24, for a roughly 1:42 / 100m. WOW!! I was surprised at the first, content with the second and WOW at the third (not quite the WOOW in the Staples commercial on tv these days but inside I did that). I figure that'd be a hard pace to keep up for 800m as after the 3 and 4x25 sprint, I was pretty spent.

More running outside and more biking outside. Definitely nice to be out there. However I'm ready for it to just be 70+ and that's it. I'm sick of this Michigan weather being 50 today and 75 tomorrow...

Thanks for the note STEVE B!

I did get to my doc yesterday, and am going to set up some PT.  He wrote a prescription for 3-weeks of PT (deep tissue and electro-therapy).  PLUS, I got my inhaler refilled and a script for Ambien.  I'm already trying to figure out my inhaler plan.  I really haven't needed it in years - the only exception being after races when I tend to wheeze a little bit, and on the training sessions in St. George.  I think it's the altitude.  The only real challenge with the inhaler is that it can leave the throat feeling raw or slightly burning - especially if you're dehydrated.  It can also leave you jittery if you don't have enough food in your system.  I think my plan is going to be to use it before every workout for the next week or so, and see if I can use it as a preventative tool, or a reactionary tool.

Ambien will help make sure I sleep well on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

Anyway, yes, Doc was a bit concerned about the leg/tingling.  Said I likely had a Class 2 tear several weeks ago, surprised I was able to run the HIM, but that it has been healing, but is nowhere near 100% - rest is in order - DO NOT RUN he said.  Race day will be race day,  and on May 1, it'll do what it does. 

Good times!!!

Hello all. I've been busy the last few days and I see I have quite a few pages of messages to catch up on!

I wanted to ask the group if anyone is currently or has in the past seen a dietician. (I think I recall Anne saying she did or still does). If so, did you benefit? Was it worth it? Did they tell you anything you didn't already know?

I'm going to start seeing a sports dietician in Boston. I'm really struggling with my weight these days, and I'm hoping she can help me. I saw a dietician about 5 years ago, but I honestly didn't feel like I got much out of it. She basically just told me to eat less and do more cardio. Duh! But this woman I'm going to see seems to have a lot of experience and sports-specific expertise. She's also written a number of books on sports nutrition, which are highly rated on Amazon.com. Apparently she also counsels members of the Red Sox and Celtics too...

I need some sort of help with my diet. I've spent the last 2 or so years struggling to lose the last 10 pounds of baby weight I was carrying around. Last November, I had started my triathlon training, had lost a few pounds, and was feeling pretty good. But that was short-lived. Since then I've gained another 10 pounds. So now I've got the 10 pounds of baby weight to lose, plus this extra 10! It can be somewhat easy to lose 5 or 10 extra pounds, but when you're talking 20, that's getting up there. I was hoping that I would lose some weight as a byproduct of the extra training I'm now doing for the races, but the opposite seems to be true. I have to admit that my eating is not always stellar. But I seem to be in this pattern: I go a few days trying to be "good." But the definition of "good" that I use is based on my old level of activity, when I wasn't training as much. So I end up eating like maybe 1300 calories per day. A few hours after I've eaten dinner and I'm getting ready for bed, my stomach is growling. But I have the mindset that eating after dinner is "cheating." So I go to bed feeling hungry. After a few days of this, my body rebels and I can't control the cravings. Then I just eat like crazy. And since I have a very all-or-nothing attitude towards dieting, I then figure that since I screwed up, then I might as well eat the whole bag of chips/box of cookies/pint of ice cream/whatever. And then the overeating often ends up going on for 2 or 3 days before I can get back on track. So it seems I've had one too many of those "bad" days, and the pounds are now creeping on. So I obviously need to take a more balanced approach to my diet where I take in a reasonable and consistent amount of calories over time, instead of being stuck in this cycle of alternating a few days of semi-starvation with a few days of massive overeating.

I was talking to my husband about this, and he said, you already know what you need to do, so why do you need a dietician? It's not that I need someone to tell me WHAT to do. I need someone to tell me HOW to do it. As in, a strategy, or meal plan. I need someone to help me start seeing food as fuel rather than something that has the potential to make me fat. This dietician has a background in weight management and disordered eating, so I think it will be a good fit for me. I don't think I have an eating disorder, but I do think that the way I approach food and eating is detrimental to my overall goals.

So anyway, any feedback from the group on your experiences working with dieticians would be very helpful!

Thanks everyone for listening.

Tracey

Here are my times from my last swim a week ago (like I said, I've been slacking on training):
25 yards/meters (not sure which for this pool)
Warm-up (avg per length over 200 m): ~40 sec
Drill with 30/31 stroke count: 32 sec
Drill with 22/24 stroke count: 47 sec

The 32 sec is pretty fast since it's at the beginning of the swim and I'm not tired yet. I usually am closer to 36 seconds a length, on average on a good day.

All that has an error of about 1-2 seconds since my timing is still off, but the differences are still pretty significant.

STEVE, what you wrote about the catch-up drill makes total sense and I've been trying to swim that way, without excessive gliding but instead holding the extended hand til the recovery one catches up. It sounds like I'm doing it right, but I may just think I am and need a second opinion. I've been thinking of taking a lesson at the rec center, so that may be some added motivation to do that.

Also, I'll give the tri-zone people a call and see what they have to say. The De Soto stuff really does seem to be the only one that would fit and it's decently priced, so I may just go with that. Thanks for the tips!

On a somewhat similar note, the ads of BT are pretty freaky (you know, the ones on the side of the forums). Lately, I'd been getting "Wetsuits: 50% off", and other similar deals. But after that De Soto post of mine from yesterday about tri clothes sizing, I've gotten ads for bigger triathletes.

My favorite from wetsuitrental.com: "Fitting athletes up to 300 pounds."

Now, I know I'm not the traditional-sized triathlete, but 300 lbs?! Haha, I guess that means I can still gain some and still fit into something. But at that weight, maybe I won't need a wetsuit nearly as much as I do now. Natural insulation


Edited by augeremt 2010-04-14 5:19 PM

Shaun,

Oh, the bike. I've been putting that off for way too long. And now it's getting too nice to keep putting it off any longer. But alas, I'm still bikeless. A friend of mine lent me his while he's out of town, so I'm no longer on my clunker mountain bike, which is a step up. But it's still not the new one I've been coveting.

So yeah, I've given myself a deadline of the end of this week. Actually, the original deadline was today, but I didn't realize that doing my taxes would take nearly as long as it has. So unless I finish those in the next half hour, the bike's not getting bought today. Good thing is, my refund is almost exactly the price of the bike and accessories. So it's like I'm getting it for free Well, kinda. It sounds better that way.

Sounds like you're kicking butt on your plan. 1:42/100 m is impressive. As is getting up that early to hit the pool. I have a hard time making it to work by 9:30, let alone working out before that. I have tried a few times, and failed miserably. I've been fighting the nocturnal me for years and I think I should just give up and accept the fact that I will never be a morning person.

And your Michigan weather sounds a lot like Colorado weather. 80 degrees one day, blizzard the next, then back up to 75. WTF. Make up your mind!

Hi Tracey,

I don't have any specific experience, but my wife has...I think your experience is about par for the course - they tend to give you a lot of "eat less, exercise more" kind of stuff. I'd be interesting to see what one with a background or focus on sports nutrition would say.  I'd say off the cuff that if they say, 1,300 calories a day, you tell them to shove it!  If you're training for a tri, your caloric needs will definitely increase, and if you don't allow for more calories consumed, you're setting yourself up for a binge cycle.  I think the trick is being honest about how much exercise you do on a daily basis, and if you adjust your calories based on an exercise commitment, you need to be true to that program.  I think people run into trouble when they say, "I didn't exercise today, so I'll eat less today," and then the next day, they exercise and eat more, then the next day, don't and eat less again. 

THAT SAID, here's a personal take (and I have no specific training in this...but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express....).  My wife has recently begun a more regimented exercise program - and is doing a great job of being very consistent with it.  Challenge is that she is now constantly hungry - her appetite is much greater than before.  I had the same experience when I dropped my 20 last year.  And, hate to say it, but from my experience (admittedly just me), that hunger is a necessary evil.  It's the body's way of saying, "if you don't feed me, I'm gonna use something else for fuel - namely you!"  Heh.  What's worse, when I was hungry, I was hungry for carbs!  I think that is natural as well when doing a lot of cardio/aerobic based exercise.  So you are not only hungry, but when you are eating your proteins, you body is screaming for carbs. 

Anyway, it's a dangerous time, weight wise, when you start a new higher volume aerobic period, as it takes an hour to burn off 600 calories, and 5 minutes to eat them...and 100 more!  UGH!

All I can say is that for me, it went away - the hunger.  Body and metabolism have changed,  I'm able to eat a LOT more than I ever used to, and no longer put the weight on (as long as I keep exercising!).  But, there were several months there where I was literally hungry all the time, and had to look at eating like I looked at running or riding a bike...it was going to be uncomfortable at times...and that meant it was working.

Tracey,

I totally understand where you're coming from. I've been in the same boat for years now and it's super hard to lose that extra weight.

I don't have any insight when it comes to dietitians, but I can offer some other tips when it comes to weight loss and dieting. They all seem pretty straightforward, so I apologize if it's something you already know.

Here are a few of my tips, as well as some websites to try. Sorry this is so long.

I'm always super hungry after swimming, but that seems be a natural thing, I've read. Turns out being in cold water makes you feel that way. So I just eat dinner (or breakfast, depending on the time of day I go) right afterwards, instead of snacking, like I used to do. And I try to make super filling meals for those days.

Also, eating slowly totally helps. That one I've had to teach myself to do because I used to have a job where it was "eat when you can cuz you never know when you'll have time", which led to years of scarfing down every meal. And since it takes about 20 minutes after eating to feel full, you may actually have filled yourself up, but haven't noticed and continue eating.

Eating a fiber-rich breakfast is the best thing you can do to kick-start your day. Keeps you full for hours, there's lots of variety, and it's very good for you.

Also, exercising as much as you do, you probably need to be eating more than 1300 calories. I tried restricting my calories a lot in order to lose weight, but was always going hungry. I finally invested in a calorie counter thingy that measured how many calories I burned (GoWear Fit or BodyBugg) and realized I was eating way too little to sustain myself on workout days. I upped my calories to 1600-1900 and was happier, more energized, and still kept losing weight.

So have you tried figuring out your BMR? I know the calculators online are all different, but when I compared the equations to what I was actually burning, it wasn't that far off.

By the way, BMR is Basal Metabolic Rate, meaning calories you'd burn if you stayed in bed all day. I have had days where I did that (Monday would be a prime example when I was sick as a dog and didn't do much of anything) and the equation underestimated my calorie burn by 100 calories as compared to my armband thingy. So I think it's pretty accurate, or as accurate as an equation can be.

Here's the one that has worked for me:
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/bmr-formula.php

And a couple websites to try:
www.sparkpeople.com - Good for food tracking and also low-calorie but filling recipe ideas. There's also a food-tracking option, which can also suggest meals (complete with recipes) if you want that. They also have plenty of articles and blogs which address the hunger and other diet-related issues. Very helpful.

www.3fatchicks.com - Great forum for weight-loss support. There are plenty of men and women on there with the same concerns you've stated and I'm sure you can find some better dietitian tips on there than I can offer. Either search the forums or join and post a question. People are super supportive and helpful. It's also a great place to go to keep you motivated and on-track. And everything you said in your post has been addressed more than once on that forum. People struggle with it every day and it's very nice to go on there and hear how you can overcome it.

Now, these definitely aren't tri-specific nutritional suggestions, but when it comes to dieting and losing weight, they're great.

Hope that helped at least a little bit.

Kasia

Edited by augeremt 2010-04-14 5:10 PM

WOW!  That's pretty blazing freaking fast.  Sounds like the form is there - now just comes the repetition!

Hey all!  I AM BAAACK!

Work yet again disrespected my training schedule and required me to be away from home 3 entire days working crazy hours (5am-7pm).  So inconsiderate of them to not consider my training when accepting new contracts.  Really, the nerve. 

Next week is the last week of this contract, the weather has cooperated and I will be back to my normal schedule again - yeah!

I have some reading and replying to do!

Cheers,

Mandy

Hey STEVE B-

That would be great! I am not sure yet, I haven't mentioned it on the Timberman forum yet because I haven't solidified a date but thought I would do it solo if I couldn't find any friends   

SO yes, that would be awesome if you are interested. 

Let me look at a calender and get a date solidified, the ones you sent work I think, but my calender is buried underneath a pile of paperwork from this contract (work).  I will post the date on Timberman Forum once figured out, maybe we can get a few takers.

Cheers!

Mandy

Edited by midlifeinsanity 2010-05-25 8:06 PM

Cathy - I am so happy you asked the question about Spinnervals, I wondered the same thing. 

Denise - OUCH!  Man, I haven't been initiated....yet.

M - hope you are OK after the big fall.  It happens to us all!  Bad Bike.

Steve A - Muscle tear? AND you ran HIM? Did you know that at the time? Ouch.  Are you going to a Sports DR or just general?  Mine isn't much help with my calf issue.  Heal well and quickly.  Good luck with the taper. Nothing over race pace, no running - save it for race day!

Kasia - Welcome back!  Sounds to me like you are a pretty darn fast swimmer!

Steve B - Calf was good during and directly after the big run to Millinocket and back (ha ha) but now is kind of angry (work-induced I think, it can't be from say, running 21 miles one day and then biking a short 15 the next )  Icing, rolling, sticking, elevating, compressing, and Advilling tonight.

MANDY - Go to bed.

Awesome work with the swim! Mark

Maybe this article is an option: http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=...

Edited by midlifeinsanity 2010-05-25 8:07 PM

Edited by midlifeinsanity 2010-05-25 8:08 PM

Really, Mandy? I get lapped like crazy at the pool each time I go. Maybe it's because I don't do the flip-turn or whatever you call it, but I always feel so slow. Good to know that someone has faith in my swimming abilities

SHAUN -

Those are terrific times! Breakthrough -- I guess!! That's a pace that's good for sub-18 (sub-17:30, actually) for 1000, and that's superb. It's perfectly acceptable to feel spent after those, and the goal now is to just extend them -- and at least maintain them. And as I do so love saying, it's best to bail on a swim set when the going is good, because at least when you leave it your form is still solid. There were way too many times in my early days of swimming where I would persist through a set with my form all fallen apart --- and that's what was in my muscle memory when next I returned to the pool. So I think that stopping after 3X100 of BREAKTHROUGH performance was perfect for you.

As for the extending it part, just do that one 100 at a time, and maybe not evebn working quickly through that, even. It wouldn't hurt at all to stick at 3X100 for a few sessions, and maybe set as a goal to reduce your speed in each by just a second or two. Another way to do it is to aim to keep them all the same, but you were cery close to that with yesterdays' set - 3:22, 3:26, 3:24. As for having the third better than the second -- way to tough out the third!!!

Don't beat up on yourself about not getting out of bed at 4:45 to hit the pool. Maybe it will happen in time, maybe not. Really, there aren't too many people who can pull off that sort of regimen, so if that's not your time, then so be it. (But maybe with your recent breakthrough, there will be new incentive to begin the day with a brisk swim! )

Glub, glub!!!!

STEVE -

Man, I like your doctor. Not only is he very generous with the PT.........but he makes me feel like such like such a worrywort in my advice to you to take it easy on the hammy. I have to admit, though, that I didn't figure a tear had happened. I will just hung up on strains or such, and like him, I am amazed that you made it through Showdown with the tear fairlt recent -- AND managed to post a very good time! Now, you WILL be a good lad and follow doctor's orders now, won't you?

I can see your reservations about the inhaler at SG, and it is a good idea to play around with it between now and then to see how it is likely to affect you on race day. Along with all the other aggravations of racing an iron, raw throat and jitters aren't not too desirable....but maybe it the past while you have eveolved beyond those symptoms. We can hope! I have never used an inhaler, however, so I can't offer any advice at all.

Happy swimming!
Happy biking!

KASIA -

I don't have anything too advanced to add to my less-than-compelling information yesterday, but....

I see a lot of women at triathlons who wear a one-piece swimsuit one the swim, and then either just keep that on for the whole thing or - far more commonly - pull on a pair of tri shorts after the swim. A variation can be having the tri shorts already on, which is wise becasue pulling something tight over a wet body is almost a huge bother. Another variation is to put on a top over the swimsuit, too. These are kind of basic ideas, and solve problems of fit and/or cost -- but haven't found you any tri-specific gear! And I will keep thinking about that!

When you come right down to it, the most elemental tri clothing is not that much different from swim gear. Shaun and I were talking about "jammers" last week, and because my tri shorts have very little padding it them, they are virtually the same as "jammers". And certainly in terms of exposure, tri-specific clothing very closely resembles swimwear, with maybe the addition of shorted bottoms. For my tri tops, as in the photo here, I prefer having the coverage that extends across my shoulders......but that can be satisfied by any running-type tops that go just as far.

Am I saying anything illuminating here? I'm not sure!

(Speaking of illuminating, that was a fabulous response you gave to Tracey!)