Newbz winter training group is FULL!!!!! (Page 13)

Wow the sun is shining two days in a row.  I'll be running outside today for sure. 

Since I'm new tow this stuff I don't have the acronyms down yet.  What is PR.  Congrats it must be good.  And TTT?  and are there any other ones I should know?  Thanks!

wo wo wo!  We did not advise not riding your brand new bike.  We advised skipping the group ride.    I had my new tri bike for 3 months and did not ride it.  .  What you need is a ride with just one other guy/gal if you can find it.  Otherwise start off on a riding trail or a big open parking lot just to feel like you know what your doing with your feet clipped it.

Hehe...That's what I meant.  I skipped the bike ride yesterday - and just did my normal workout.  I'm heading out now...to see if I can get the hang of clipping in and out.  Will let you guys know how many times I fell over.

Sooooo....I'm pleased to report...that I managed to stay upright the entire time.   I guess I'll save my falls for when I'm with a group - so my chagrin can be properly appreciated.

I really didn't have much trouble getting in and out - the speedplays seemed to work pretty good for me - the closest I came to trouble was when practicing stopping - my stopping foot would slip.  Someone should put a little rubber on that metal cleat - it slips like crazy on asphalt.  Otherwise - I kept it pretty easy on myself - but practiced in a parking lot...then did several laps of a 3.5mi course... (kinda windy today so ...took some of the fun out of riding...for me at least) - also got used to standing and riding...a little awkward for me at first on this bike for some reason - never bothered me in college on a mountain bike.   My hands were a little tired of supporting my upper body on the bars...but I guess I'll get used to that.

All in all - a successful ride.  Now...I just need to figure out how to get at least 2 solid rides in a week.  That will be a challenge.

Good to hear Malcolm.  If you adjust the tension on the pedals to be kind of loose, then you won't have to ever fall over.  When you get to the fall over point the mind panic and the feet yank furiously.  This usually results in no luck in freeing the feet on quickly ends up in the attitude of the Collosus of Rhodes.  But if the tension is low, the panic will in fact free the feet.

I got the speedplay "chrome moly black"??  I didn't see a model number on the box - heck...when you asked the question - I was thinking....errrr...the round ones...hehe.  I didn't know there were other models.

If the weather is good - I'm just going to jump into a group ride this coming weekend...if I fall and make a fool of myself...so be it.  I need to ride!!  Hopefully it's not as windy...I didn't enjoy the ride as much...since I felt like I was going directly into the wind for much of it.  I am a little dismayed by what I saw on the speedmeter though - I don't know what my avg pace should be to be competitive in a Sprint (Clydesdale class...) - although I'm going to go look right after posting this....  But...I know I wasn't doing very well.  I think I was doing about 8 mph up the hill....and reached a top speed of 32mph...going downhill in top gear.  I'm still trying to get used to shifting...and anticipating what gear I should be in.  Especially important it seems when apporaching a hill.  I only have 2 gears on the front...errr...I don't even know the correct terminology.

Hehe...well... millions of bikers before me have managed to figure it out...hopefully I'll be ok.  Sunday's run wasn't too bad...

Good morning Gentlemen,

I finally got off my butt and started my TTT training yesterday. I am still going to do my P90X stuff and think I can incorporate it in. I need the strenght work to maintain what little muscle I have I am moving all my swims to Tues, Thurs and Sat. I'll try to be better about keeping in contact. I also am down another pound. Well back to work....too bad you can't include tile work into the training plan. Later guys.

Chris

Found our thread on the second page of mentor group threads again and had to bump us back to the first page.

I hope everyone is doing well.

Yeah slackers...get to posting!!  We're getting lapped by other groups... ;-)

Thanks for the additional bike education David.  I plan on working in rides - where and when I can.  I think as it gets a little warmer and the days get a little longer that may prove a bit easier.  I'm considering doing a spinning class tomorrow - although I seem to be fighting a cold (no wonder since everyone around here seems to be sporting one) but I want to get in as much training as I can over this week...since Monday I'll be heading to the UK and won't be returning until Tuesday of the following week - it's always touch and go trying to workout over there - but no matter what, I'll be knocked completely out of my routine for a week.

Sorry I have been MIA- I was sick for a week and now trying to get back into the swing of things.

On Saturday I did my first mt. bike ride in a long time. There is a trail known as "Jones" that is about 2.6 miles up a steep, unforgiving hill (took me 46 minutes inlcuding at least 4 or 5 stops). You reach the summit where are beautiful views of the silicon valley. You blaze down the same hill, which only takes about 12. After taking spinning classes at least once a week for the past year, I thought I would have been a little better prepared for this ride. The computer on the indoor bikes clocks me at 16-20 miles per hour class (and I crank that resistance up!!!) To accomplish only 5.2miles in an hour was a little discouraging! My tri in May is a 9.7 mile mt. bike course, and I was not worried, until after my ride on Sat.

Any thoughts?

Kristy, sounds like a tough ride.  Can a spinning class prepare you for that kind of incline?  I've never been in a class.  Good luck working up to 9.7.

 I definitely have spring feve after today.  It was almost 60, too windy for a bike ride.  Managed to get in a quick run.  I hate it when life gets in the way of training. 

Hope everyone in the east is enjoying the sunshine while it lasts.  Snow is back in the forecast for Thursday. 

Ugh...I had to bail on the spinning/core classes I was going to do this morning.  On the way home from the pool last night - my stomach started cramping hard... I initially thought it was just rebelling because I was hungry when I went for the swim -and it didn't like all the chlorinated water I had swallowed - but after I ate dinner - my entire abdomen had stabbing pains...for most of the night.  I decided to give myself today off to try to get this little bug out of my system.  Seems to be "relatively" settled this morning - hopefully it'll be gone by this evening.  I don't have time for bugs like this...!!

Kristy, glad you getting better.  I hope your not too discouraged about the climb.  I would have no idea what is good for that climb. It obvisously can't compare to optimal conditions on a road.  Once you get outside you'll be able to start transfereing your spinning conditioning to road speed.  That won't be an immediate transfer either, but the indoor training will bring the time it takes to get to your "this season best road speed" down to a minimum.  Outdoors, you'll develop a suitable balance between aero and power.

Travis, hope your feeling better too.  Good luck with upping your run volume for marathons.

My report:  I've worked out 24 days straight.  22 runs.  I am trying to improve my run times while not letting my other training slip.  I started some weight training too.  How am I doing so far?  I'm tired.

This morning I managed to get a swim in that was actually worth the drive to the pool.  I decided to just go for time instead of distance since the cold keep me down to 600-800 the last few weeks.  I managed to swim for 30 min and got 1333.33 yd done.  The pool is 100ft in length which is why I have the odd distance.

This after noon I decided to run.  The temp was 43 but felt like 35 with the wind chill.  The entire run out was into the wind, but back was with it.  I managed to run 4.13 in 33 min flat.  It's funny, during the summer I could hold that pace with ease and now I am struggling to keep it.  That was my faster tempo run for the week though, the rest will be much slower and more enjoyable.

Still haven't kicked this thing completely, but I have noticed that I unlike the other Marines in my unit am at least still getting out there and getting some time in.