Thanks Mariah!   I thought that might be it but everything to do with biking is new to me. 

Do you guys recommend any indoor trainers?  I want one that will be somewhat quiet and last through a lot of miles. After I get my bike the trainer will be my next purchase.

This is true.   But lots of times your body lies to you.   Other times it isn't' lying!

To put this another way.  "Sometimes the shark goes away.....Sometimes he don't go away"

I have a computrainer which I love and think is such an awesome tool.  However. It takes a bit of time for me to set my bike up in it.     So  was thinking if I ever got a different trainer  it would be

the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine Fluid Bike Trainer.     Solid trainer, quiet, smooth    people love it.   

Oh and they do not sponsor me.   I am totally for sale though   (just putting that out there for any mega billion dollar corporations that may have a few dimes to toss my way)

I second the Kurt Kinetic Fluid trainer. I've had mine for 4 years and it's still going strong.  Riser blocks are helpful.

Also, get yourself a subscription to Netflix. Hours on the trainer can be mind-numbing.

Thank you guys and gals!!   I knew there was a reason I kept all of you around. 

My next question for the team is regarding muscle imbalances.  In the off season my toes point straight ahead and I walk normally.  After building up a base (mainly by running) my toes point outwards and I look like a duck.  Obviously I have created a muscle imbalance.  My question is which muscles do I train so as to offset the apparently massive gains elsewhere. 

Survey says?

Just registered for the ITU World Triathlon Series in Yokohama, Japan on May 12.  It's an olympic distance and will be my first tri.  I am stoked!  I'm starting the 16 week 2x balanced program on BT, which lines up exactly with the race, but I'm also going to continue the ruthkazez 0-1 mile swim program until I'm done in 4 weeks.  One thing that threw me for a loop was the registration cost.  26,500 yen, which is equivalent to about $325.  That seems like a hefty price tag for one event.  To our tri veterans: Is that a normal price to pay for participating in a triathlon? 

Also, a wetsuit is "required" for this event.  I was looking on Amazon and noticed a large price difference between wetsuits designated for scuba, and wetsuits labeled for swimming/triathlon.  What, if any, is the actual technical difference between the two? 

I guess I just didn't realize that this hobby/lifestyle can have such a large effect on the wallet!  Next I will be shopping around for clipless pedals, and cycling jerseys.  My wife said that when I'm riding my nice bike in old, faded sweat pants, it looks like I stole it!

Sounds like you need some corrective exercises.  Those would really be best left to a personal trainer or Chiropractor who could see you walk in person.  I know lots of corrective exercises, but they could have a negative effect on you.  

That being said, anyone else want to chime in?

That's awesome, I'm jealous - Japan would be a cool place to race. What is the weather like there in May? Are triathlons popular there? 

That registration fee is super high compared to the smaller local races I've done or signed up for. I signed up for two olympics in 2013 through SetUp Events (capped at 400 people each) for $55 and $65. My half iron was only $120! I think I would pay more to do a tri in Japan though

Definitely don't get a scuba wetsuit. I don't know a lot about the different brands of tri wetsuits but don't get too concerned about the cost of Xterra wetsuits, you can usually find a discount code or coupon that cuts the price nearly in half. I've heard a lot of good things about Orca and Zoot wetsuits too. "Required" must mean that the water will be less than 70 degrees, or so I figure, that would be hard for me even in a wetsuit!I'm a wimp when it comes to cold.

I love your wife's comment, too funny. But don't feel bad about it. I raced all last year in a regular bathing suit, an old 5k t-shirt, bike shorts I bought at a going out of business sale, a 10-year-old cheap youth-sized helmet I found in our garage and $20 tennis shoes. All to go along with my entry-level road bike. Worked just fine

Don, $325 is a huge fee for an Olympic race.  Of course, you're doing it in Tokyo which is one of the most expensive cities in the world.  For reference, the Denver Triathlon costs $120 for the Olympic, and the Chicago Triathlon is like $140 this year.  Everything relative- as that's about the cost of living difference between Denver and Chicago.

I'll answer your wetsuit inquiry separately, that's an important discussion.

OK, wetsuits.  I love talking equipment!

You'll need a triathlon specific wetsuit.  I don't know why they are required, I've never heard of that.  Must be some cold water you are swimming in?  Anyway, tri wetsuits make you wicked fast and buoyant in the water.  Scuba wetsuits are heavier and made of a different material.

Prices on wetsuits range from like $69 for an Xterra Volt sleeveless to over $500 for a TYR Hurricane Pro.  Does the average triathlete need the $500 suit?  Heck no.  My preferred wetsuit for the last 5 seasons has been the Xterra Vortex full.  For $200 it's a fast suit and makes me feel awesome in the water.  You should research though, see what feels best for you.  I think the average person shouldn't have to spend more than $200, and even that's a little on the high side.

Types of wetsuit~ there's sleeveless, full, and short.  I like the full suit for the most part.  I live in Illinois and I used to live in Colorado.  The water never gets particularly warm in either location, so that extra coverage is nice.  Ideally I'd like to go sleeveless as they give you more freedom to move, but I'd rather not freeze.  Some wetsuits also come with short legs.  I don't recommend these as the wetsuit will give you buoyancy.  Dirty little secret- you don't need to kick much, if at all, when you are wearing a wetsuit.  Sure, you won't go as fast but if you are not a good swimmer anyway you can save your legs for the bike and run.

Let me know what other questions you have.

Mariah, you are worth your weight in gold here :D

I have a code good for a significant amount off of the X-Terra wetsuits. It brought the price of the Vortex 4 full sleeve down from $400 to $160. The price of the Vector went from $600 to $240. PM me if you are interested in purchasing one of these wetsuits!

I have the Vortex 4 full sleeve and it has proven to be all I need.

Yep, I love the old coaches line in high school... are you hurt, or injured?   I've been running a little longer and slower lately to try and get my aerobic base up some, and noticed some discomfort on the outside of my instep over the weekend after running, but felt fine on the bike that night. A couple days later on the treadmill my foot felt fine again, but every step was generating a sharp pain on the outside of my knee, not a general ache, just a quick jab every time that foot hit the ground as soon as i started running.  After about a half mile i got off the mill and rode the bike.  

Today's a run day for me again, so I'll see how it feels at lunch when i get over to the gym.

Thanks 

That sharp pain on the outside of my knee is what I felt at mile 18 of my first marathon.  My legs were fine otherwise and I couldn't figure it out.  For me it turned out to be my IT Band.  It was so tight that it was pushing against the nerves in my knee causing the sharp pain.  I could walk, bike swim or do just about anything but run without the pain.

Congrats on registering for your first triathlon!  I will be doing the same in the next few weeks.  My first will be an Olympic distance also but only costs $70.  The difference is you get to do yours in Japan and mine will be out in the boondocks of Eastern Washington where there are more birds than people.  Our swim is also wetsuit approved but in a water reservoir.  Since I don't have a wetsuit either I appreciate you asking all the questions. 

Don't knock the faded sweat pants.  They worked for "Rocky". 

Hi all - I have a question for the nutritionists:

I am trying to lose the weight that was gained over the fall/winter. I am tracking all my calories and my daily average hovers right around 1200. I am using the My Fitness Pal to track my intake and a Body Media Fit arm band to track my calorie burn. I am typically burning about 3500 calories per day. Some days I go over 4000 but usually on the weekend. I usually take in about 100 to 110 grams of protein a day, with the bulk of the calories coming from carbs and protein, very little fat. My question is: am I taking in too few calories? My logs are up to date and I have noticed a little fatigue on some of the runs compared to what I remember back before I started lowering my calorie intake. Not a huge amount but noticeable. I'm also dropping around a pound per day. I have about 30 to go to get to where I want to be (race weight).

My plan was to use the base part of my training plan to drop the weight, and then increase my caloric intake during the build/peak part of the training plan to more closely match my calorie burn for the day. I know my base building is suffering a little because of the lower calorie intake but my thought was I was offsetting that with less weight to lug around.

Thanks for any advice/suggestions/etc. If I'm crazy, feel free to tell me. I'm married so I hear that a lot and it won't hurt my feelings.

Steve

edited for spelling

im not a nutritioninst, but have paid a lot of attention to macros while working to lose weight (i dropped about 80 lbs over 6 about 7 months, and have kept it off for a bit now).  and a common thing i had been told when discussing diet with people was that maintaining anythign more than about a 1000 cal deficit a day can be dettrimental.  I use myfitnesspal to track my intake daily and have its limits set to 50% carbs, 30% protein and 20% fats now, when i was really focusing on cutting weight is traxcked to 40/40/20, and generally tried to keep the fats on the low side.

When you're working hard carbs & fat = fuel, protein helps muscle growth 

(Please correct me if i'm wrong  I'd love to know if I'm screwing myself up here too )

Good news for me at least, got a decent run in at lunch today and was bale to avoid the elliptical, a slow, steady 7 miles in Zone 2 and no knee pain!

It was real hard for me to stay at the slower pace dictated by my hrm, and not speed up the mill when i got to the end of my lunch break, but i managed to keep it low (except for one 1 min sprint to see if anything tweaked while i was pushing right at the end of the run)