Mad Manatees Mentor Group - VERY CLOSED!!! Sorry! (Page 12)

Kirsten - welcome back, sorry to hear much of your trip was less than spectacular since you were sick.

Kate - your turkey sounds GREAT!!  I've heard a lot about brining but never tried it.  I'd love to have the recipe if you have time to PM me.

Chad - wow, you have a busy schedule!  Hoping you find time to get the run in without it feeling like another thing you 'have' to do.  Make sure it is still fun and relaxing and not another chore.

TJ - post-Christmas sales, yay!!!

Felicia - your cold, snowy run sounds fun, as long as you didn't slip around too much in the snow.  Congrats on getting out there.  I think of you and your windy habitat so often when I want to cop out of a ride because it's windy.  You are fearless!

Salty - what can I say, girl, you've got mad speed and continue to impress and awe.  Way to rock out some great times in spite of yucko weather.

Alaska Jonathan - sometimes the body insists on getting what it wants and needs.  Getting a little extra needed rest and relaxation is fine, plus you still did your Insanity workout, so it's not like you were a total slug

Ann-Marie - sorry to hear you are sick.  Get better!!  Rest!!

Stacey - echoing what the others have said: if your biggest hangup is putting your face under in lakes and whatnot, try to get out there to overcome your discomfort with it.  You really don't want to try to deal with that issue on race day.  You said it is an hour away; yeah, that's a long drive, but if you can get some good practice in and/or even a run or bike in at the lake, it makes the trip a little more 'worth' it.

My workout yesterday was shovelling (or rather pushing around) snow (heavy slush) at my dad's house and my own house.  We had about 2" of just snow before it started freezing raining/sleeting/then just rain.  It was much like trying to shovel a margarita.  I originally intened to ride on the trainer when I got home, but I was absolutely soaked and very chilled from cleaning my car off at work then my snow clearing chores, so I skipped the trainer and just did a few core things and pushups.  Tonight I will either go for a run or ride the trainer, but I think the temps are supposed to drop throughout the day and if all that mess freezes, there's now way I can run on the roads.  It will probably be a trainer night.

What do y'all watch or do to pass the time on the trainer? It gets so boring. I watched the 2011 Ironman World Championship DVD this morning but I can only watch it so many times. Need something else

I thought about making a youtube playlist of Tri videos

I usually try to mix it up to keep it interesting. Sometimes I watch Kona or Rev3, sometimes I listen to AudioFuel, sometimes I use Trainer Road, and sometimes, like this morning, I listen to my running music and adjust the cadence and strength for the beat of each song. I'm thinking about getting some Sufferfest videos, they are fairly inexpensive.

Yum! Oh wait, that's a bad thing?

Even when you are cold you are smokin hot!!!!!!!!! Nice times Salty!

Oh, movies on dvd or youtube, music,   or play mind games with yourself.     The most important mind game to play is to get into the "zone"    Be one with the bike.  Concentrate on heart rate, breathing rate, sweat rate, and/or cadence.     Tell yourself that when you feel like quitting then ride five minutes more.  After that slow a bit for five more minutes, and then hammer hard for another five minutes.    These minutes will add up.  Have nutrition and hydration close by.    Also a towel for when the sweat becomes a flood.

Do the mental list thing of reasons for being on the trainer and for not being on the trainer as you ride.  This will help in getting your workout completed.

I use TrainerRoad paired with shows I have DVR-ed.  TrainerRoad provides the varied but structured workout while watching TV provides entertainment/distraction from the pain.  And a fan is a must!  Plus hydration.

Oh, and I got my Jogo on with an hour on the drainer this morning. Woohoo!

I haven't missed a day since Nov 12!

Someone forgot to add the tequila, lime and triple sec.

That's a terrible Margarita!

When we lived in Omaha we had those wet, icy snows. Ick.

Great job! I failed on Christmas, only 15 min walk with my DW. Back at it.

I've been a slacker this morning.   Will make up for it this afternoon with a two hour trainer ride followed by 30 minutes  on the treadmill.       

I plan to maintain this workout load until I have to go back to work on Jan 7th.  Won't be able to do quite as much then so I trying to jump to the next level with these two weeks.     Get a jump start on training this year, so to speak.     I'm over most of the worst effects of 5 foxtrot uniform, or as we vets of this particular drug call it, "5 Frak You."    Just call me "Phoenix."    Not the actor but the bird of myth.  

I've signed up for my first race of  this year.   It is the Tuskaloosa Half Marathon being held on March 2nd.   Proceeds go to help with the on going  rebuilding effort of T-town from the  27 April 2011 tornado.

REGARDING OPEN-WATER SWIMMING:

Read this. It's somewhere between mediocre and outstanding, depending on what your issues are. I need to re-read it myself.

Open Water Swimming: MAPS to Get Ready

REGARDING TRAINER TIME:

Heh. Like my beloved mad polymath (that would be Michael, MadMathemagician), I'm a big fan of taking an hour out of a long trainer ride to ride in the dark, furthermore with my eyes closed, no music, no distractions, really just focus on breathing and how my body is moving and the ride. These have been some of the best training and preparation times for me.

So of course, that still leaves you with anywhere between 2 to 9 hours. I do have a different focus for every hour: will it be intervals? Will it be holding a very steady level of effort? Will it be simulating a hill sequence? Will it be pushing it in the big ring? Will it be holding it in aero, no breaks no sitting up, just gunning it?

I watch so little TV (I only watch TV or DVDs when on the trainer, and usually for about half the time I'm on) that it's a real treat to watch anything, although I try to watch more upbeat, or fast-paced, or funny stuff. Don't want to watch anything that's a drag while cycling.

It's also helpful that I know some crazy wicked VJs so I often play their mixes as audio or watch them to cycle too. All of it just makes you want to get up and dance, which is kind of how I think of cycling. Dancing on the pedals.

Thanks for letting us know about these videos! The lovely ride section does look, well, lovely!

Yeah, just about 30 seconds off Sanya Richards Ross!  

And yes, Wednesdays are track days. That just so happens to be when my running club has their track workout and it's a little unfortunate because it forces me to shuffle everything else in the schedule and I end up with less recovery but thus far, I have been fine without as much recovery. Don't worry though, I am keeping a close eye on it. 

There is another club that does theirs on Tuesdays AND it's closer to my house BUT they don't have NEARLY the prestige that the other club does. There is something to getting your azz handed to you every single week that is very motivating.

That is fantastic! So, SXSW isn't all that country heavy but they do have some. 

In HS I hated country music but when I moved to the east side of the state for college I vowed to listen to it until I loved it. And I did, too. Still love it. 

Funny side note, and I find myself bringing this up any time I talk country music but does anyone in here remember Chris Gaines? HA! 

It was an interesting time period in country music, but, ouch.  The poor (?) guy has a career that anyone would kill for and we continue to bring up that spooge! I'm pretty sure he would like to get a mulligan on that one.

ETA: Did you know he was known as "THe Pillsbury Cowboy" for a while?

Hm. Let me tell you that several Christmases and then a series of wedding events for immediate family are NOT conducive to Ironman training. It still looks like I'll get 16 solid hours in this week, but it has been a major stretch to try to fit it all in, especially since I'm the Primary Shepherd for my mother and she tends to flip out when she's not on a stable, predictable schedule, and this week in entirety has been NOT that.

If we were to add "carousing with piglets" as a training category, I'd be a LOT more hours along the way My nieces and nephews are an extraordinarily good-looking bunch and, best of all, they have a coterie of young, vibrant, very good-looking friends.

What do you MEAN, I should have checked IDs?!

My primary swim coach from when I was 10-16, who gave me an amazing foundation in that sport and whom I've stayed in touch with all these years, showed up to my niece's wedding with one of his sons (they live in Hawaii and Florida, so not a small matter). I *worshiped* him and his sons when I was young so I gave them huge melon presses and refused to let go, and then huge sloppy kisses goodbye. They seemed very pleased I have waited ALL THIS TIME to do that! 20 years!