STEPH SPRINT FULL Let's do this thing! StephSprint group FULL! (Page 12)

[RACE PLANNING.... LOGGING YOUR WORKOUTS... KEEPING A DIARY OF HOW EACH DAY/WEEK IS GOING... HOW DO ALL OF YOU KEEP TRACK? AND PLAN? Do you need some help with this?

Ok I have a question for everyone...

Did you do anything special to mark or remember your first race?

I am going out and buying a big frame and going to put my race shirt, my number, and a picture of me racing in the frame.  That way I can remember my first race that changed my life.

Would like to hear what everyone else did.

Alter G, that's it.  Thanks Steph.  Can't wait to try it.

As far as races go, I wasn't planning on doing anything this summer as I don't know how this ankle thing will play out and decided even if I can begin running again during the summer, I shouldn't race because I don't seem to know how not to race (meaning I can't just take it easy).  So today I had lunch with a couple of my tri buddies and we decided to do some races as a team.  I will swim, Robin will bike and Claudia will run. (and Claudia is wicked fast!)  Never done a tri as a team, so this will be fun.  We plan to do an Oly on June 24 in Pleasant Prairie Wisconsin.

And Steph, when you come to Chicago for the Marathon we should meet.

Susie

erin1621 - 2012-04-29 6:02 AM Did my first Brick with the team yesterday. I did 12mile on bike including some hill drills. The we ran 1.6 miles. It was my first and I was running with a partner, which helped to distract me! I survived and what a sense of accomplishment, but I did wonder what the hell I just signed up for lol I am working today 7-7 So I usually take this a rest day even though I wont be sitting and will be running around all day=) Monday I am gonna try to swim in the am and 4 miles in the pm. Tuesday will be a  spin or bike out side, W-swim, t- bike/spin, Friday run, Sat bike with team, Sunday swim with team. I dont like riding outside by myself so I prefer to take a spin class.  What does everyone else do? Are you guys brave enough to get out there on the road. Also, Thursday I will be getting my clips Need to hurry and get comfy with that . OK have a great one guys

NICE JOB! those wobbly legs do get better! I am terrified to ride the roads....but I will do it once a month. Otherwise I spin... you can spin, jump off the spin bike and run for 10 minutes (treadmill, whatever) and get a similar feeling. It really works well. Practicing transitions is good too. You want to keep those under 2 minutes. When you do your brics, test baby powder instead of socks in your running shoes. I actually prefer baby powder to socks if I'm only running a 5k or 3 miler (sprint). Practice running on asphalt with your bike shoes on... 'nuff said. Head to Toe... T1, swim cap, goggles off, helmet, sunglasses on. T2 Helmet off, cap on then shoes... GO GO GO GO!!!

RACE PLANNING.... LOGGING YOUR WORKOUTS... KEEPING A DIARY OF HOW EACH DAY/WEEK IS GOING... HOW DO ALL OF YOU KEEP TRACK? AND PLAN? Do you need some help with this?

I have a very small notebook/dayplanner just for workouts. I have my workouts planned until July 22 (following a 16wk plan w/ a 2wk taper, including some races that will count as training days). On the pages with the month calendar, I write in what I'm supposed to do that day. On the weekly pages, I write in what I actually did (including reps and such for strength workouts). It's easy to look back, easy to compare weeks, and I'm really good at following rules, so I feel like I set out the rules in one place, and then confirm I followed them on another. The workout plan helps me know what days to set up childcare at the gym, what days to get help from my husband, and what days to plan to head to a swim after the kids are sleeping, etc. If I lost that ntbk, I'd be pretty screwed, come to think of it.

I have a very small notebook/dayplanner just for workouts. I have my workouts planned until July 22 (following a 16wk plan w/ a 2wk taper, including some races that will count as training days). On the pages with the month calendar, I write in what I'm supposed to do that day. On the weekly pages, I write in what I actually did (including reps and such for strength workouts). It's easy to look back, easy to compare weeks, and I'm really good at following rules, so I feel like I set out the rules in one place, and then confirm I followed them on another. The workout plan helps me know what days to set up childcare at the gym, what days to get help from my husband, and what days to plan to head to a swim after the kids are sleeping, etc. If I lost that ntbk, I'd be pretty screwed, come to think of it.

Question time....

As you know, I just did my first 5k and finished with a 44:01 time.  My next race was planned for Fathers Day.  But I have been talked into running another race before that on May 26th.  Im still suffering from planter fascites and a fallen arch...so obviously you want to do better then your last race, how much better do I really expect to do?  Any tips for improving my time?

I still cant run a whole mile with out walking...its about half and half.  I want to push myself but with my injuries I dont want to over do it either.

Please give me any suggestions and tips...I so want to improve my time.  Was thinking of trying to hit the 30s...but I dont know how realistic that is.

Ok I have a question for everyone...

Did you do anything special to mark or remember your first race?

I am going out and buying a big frame and going to put my race shirt, my number, and a picture of me racing in the frame.  That way I can remember my first race that changed my life.

Would like to hear what everyone else did.

Running: @amybecca: I know exactly how you feel. I strained my calf during a 5k two weeks ago and it's almost healed. I have run a total of 20 minutes since then, and I feel like a race horse at the starting gate. arrgh! Not willing to have this injury reappear by not being patient enough, though. Swim, bike, walk, lift... do other things to fill the void. Just make sure you let your injury heal.

Biking: I finally put my clipless pedals on and love, love, love how much more zoom I can get on the up-swing. And yes, I did fall. Not during the most important times like in traffic or crossroads (I prepared for that pretty well). I learned that you're more likely to fall if you don't know where you're going: being distracted and slowing down too much or trying to start on an uphill without having down-shifted (oops!).  I've started doing bridge repeats to get used to uphill climbing.

Swimming: Did my first open-water swim yesterday. I recommend everyone try it at least once before their tri. No line at the bottom to help steer you in the right direction, my progress was very wiggly! The only way to know which way to go is too look up and out of the water at the landmarks, buoys, etc. Even trying to keep the sun at an approximate angle did not help. Also, depending on where you'll be swimming, you may not see bottom (in my case there was lots of floating algae and the occasional 2 foot long fish swimming below me). If you are used to lap swimming, in open water swimming there's no ability to push off a wall, or hold on to an edge, which can be concerning to some (the swim lane was sectioned off by ropes which I crashed into a couple of times). I felt a bit anxious at first (sloppy form, ragged breathing), but finally calmed and fell into a rhythm after the first 200 yards.

Sailing: Really windy out tonight and fun! (wish there was a competition that included sailing too!).