kalalau's Group - FULL for now (Page 13)

Laces.

I have Yankz. Looks like they have a 15% off coupon on trisports. Amazon has them too.

I have a pair of Lock Laces that I got at my local running store, but I haven't put them on yet. I bet you can find these in your local stores.

There are a few others around.  The idea is that your laces will stretch, and you no longer have to tie your shoes in transition.  You just slide your foot right in.  A 20 year old, last year, told me that she just keeps her shoes (with regular laces) lose enough that she can slide them on in transition, and I tried that, and what do you know, it works.  And that's what I did all last year.  Just plain ole laces.  In that case you have to like your shoes not as tight.

I still intend on using elastic ones, but I never end up putting them in, and when the race comes, the #1 rule comes into play - "nothing new on race day".

I've always wanted to buy these for my girlfriend and I.  When I got run over by a truck, I had no ID or anything on me.  If I wasn't conscious, they would've had no idea who I was.  I made sure to tell the first guy on scene.  At least now I have my info in my helmet.

It's going to be quick in transition?  I will have to look into that.

I will write up a little bit about bike computers later tonight or tomorrow.  Cadence is a good one for training, and what I looked for.  Coaches and books seem to really stress the fact that we should be doing 90 rpms on the bike. There is a cadence sensor for the Garmins, but I'm not that interested anymore.

See, it's already started. :-)  But that's good, just worry about Eagleman.  I was so adamant about not doing an IM when I was signed up for my HIM.  I told my girlfriend that I've finally flipped if I even mention it.  The idea was so insane.

I got one, and then got Josh one as a gift.  Nothing says I love you like a Road ID!  We don't leave the house for any sort of training without one, except for in the pool.  

I'm a little mechanically "slow" so it took me a little bit to figure out how to disconnect it, but now it takes only a second...maybe two.  It just snaps right on and off.  J had the garmin cadence sensor and it was a piece of cr@p.  We do have one simple computer that we use for the trainer, which includes cadence.  It has a multi-user thing, so we only have one.  Last ride outside, I noticed it wasn't on MY bike...

Interesting, thanks!

Ok, I guess there really isn't much to say about bike computers.  You can be cheap, or spend a lot of money.  Some of the options are different stats that they display.  The one I looked for was cadence which boosted the price up a tiny bit, but I was still able to get one on sale for $25 (now $29.95).  You can get computers pretty darn cheap if you are willing to sale shop.  There are frequent sales.  Here's a sale at Performance Bike .  Some of the other options you can get is heart rate, as well as having pieces of it be wireless.  For instance to get your cadence and speed, consider that you will have to have two wires running around and clipped on your bike.  One if going to come from your pedal, and the other from your front fork.  That's quite a pain.  If you go wireless, you can forgo all that.  Some of them do wireless for one and not the other, so that's something to watch for, if it matters.

You can get pretty expensive with the options available.  Consider that you will be leaving this bike in areas where you might not feel all that great about leaving a bike computer sitting out.  A $25 one, not so much.  It is easy to just clip off a bike computer.  Even in a transition area, where things are pretty secure, would I leave out a $400 bike computer?  Probably not.

Speaking of transition areas, you should get to them as early as possible when you get to the race.  My first step when I get out of the car, is to get my bike into the transition area and stake out a favored place.  It is probably personal preference as to where you want to be.  It seems that most transition areas have a both a back entrance/exit and a front entrance/exit.  That way you reduce the effect that people's bike placement can have on your time, and can sort of keep people out of each other's way.  Even so, there are things you can do.  Wouldn't it be nice to have your bike towards the end of the bike rack, so it's directly in the running lane? Get there early.  Also, if the transition area has the bike exit and the bike entrance at the same spot, like in this map, wouldn't it be nicer to have your bike towards the bike entrance/exit?  If you do that, you are trading a short "running with your bike" for a longer "run without a bike."  I'll take the "run without a bike" longer piece. 

A couple of other things that you may think of, is that maybe you want to be alone, spread out, do your thing, take your time.  You might like the back of the transition area.  Also, while it's nice to try to stake a claim to a wide area when you are setting up early, you should be aware that frequently, someone will come up just before race time and cram their bike right next to you and invade your territory, making it worse than if you just got pretty close to the next person in the first place.

For some of the "serious" races, like Eagleman and Columbia, we will have assigned spots, which is really nice.  I wish races did that more often.

At Eagleman, they may even take our bike from us when we are done our bike leg, and put it back for us, which is even better! :-)  Quite the service.   But most races don't do that.

Wow, that's awesome!  I knew that we had assigned spots, but taking my bike from me...now that's high class!  I'll just have to make sure I strip my Garmin off in time.  Just so there's not confusion, this is the bike mount I have.  

Ok, you guilted me into checking more thoroughly. :-)  It looks like they do not take your bike from you at Eagleman.  I thought there was a shot, because all Ironman trademarked races I've done have done that.  But, that was two full IMs, and one HIM that was run by WTC, who I've been told do things a bit differently.  Might depend on how many volunteers you can get too.  Sorry to get your hopes up.

I just thought I'd bring it up because I was thrown off guard the first time that happened to me.  I had no idea someone was going to take my bike, and they just grabbed it from me. :-)

Something else that you get at the full Ironman trademark races is wetsuit strippers.  Now that is the bomb.  You sit on your butt, and 1-2 people reach down, and thwop!, your wetsuit is off.  Pretty amazing.

Thanks for the link!  I added it to my cart so I can ponder it over.

Hey Steve!  Way to go, it's great to get that first bike ride out there.  Yes Savageman is a killer but in the end somehow we finish, no matter what the challenge is. :-)

A race a week after a sprint is ok, but you would have to know your body for sure.  I think the more races you do, the better your body recovers.  Between the two races, the workouts would be pretty light, nothing like speedwork or long endurance stuff.

The one that Becky linked to is a velcro strap.  It looks like the same strap I had with my Garmin 201.  I'm not sure I would use it in my short races but it would probably be good for training and longer races.  When I am in a rush in transition, I like to try to keep things simple.   I have a hard enough time making sure I don't start the bike with a wetsuit on, or start the run with a helmet or my gloves on. :-)

I'm getting over-gadgeted, and getting overwhelmed by it.  Plus, I have a cadence sensor on my bike computer and I haven't touched it since it fell off over a year ago (needs to be strapped back on).

You say "supposed to" like you are planning on ignoring it. :-)  I think a bike ride would be good for you, but not mashing it. :-)  Nice and easy, oh, look at the pretty birdies, isn't it wonderful to be out here? :-)

I'm hoping to ride the NCR Trail on Sunday but it could be messy with all this rain being forecasted.

The velcro part is the wrist part, but you don't have to attach that part to the bike.  There is a separate mount that goes on the bike, and the garmin itself (you take off the plastic watchband part) just clicks off the bike, and onto they wrist mount.   It's pretty nifty.

Steve, I saw that you had a nice easy ride the other day.  Isn't it fun?  I did 2.5 hours on teh trainer Saturday.  Yuck!  Enjoy your taper.  

Huh?  I used Becky as my motivator for getting outside yesterday and here she stayed indoors? :-)  I rode my mountain bike for about 42-44 miles on the NCR Trail.  40 degrees, cold, and then rain.  My feet froze and went numb for a good 3 hours!

Looks like Steve may have skipped his 5k race on Sunday unless he goes by another name.  It was pretty nasty weather.  Is that true Steve?  Friends are telling me it was a great race.  One friend crushed her PR, and did sub 10s for the first time; she's pretty excited.

Looking at the HAT Run pics, I sort of wish I was doing it. :-)  Looks like an awesome race.  I might consider showing up to spectate, but it looks like I got accepted to be a pacer at the National Marathon (probably not the full 26).  Yeah!

Trail runs are really nice.  I should do a hard core ultra (or marathon) trail run one day.

I think you're confused.  I run when it's cold and icky outside.  I do not bike when it's cold and icky outside.  I'm a hazard on the bike as it is!!   Glad I could be of motivation, even if it was misguided.  I did run outside yesterday...

Yea!  I did the National Marathon last minute last year as a supported long training run for Nashville...that's what it was supposed to be anyway.  I was headed for a PR at the half though, so it ended up as not so much a training run.  The race start was quite cold, but it turned out to be a great day.  I really liked the race and was pretty excited with how I did.  Just a word of caution, they had the 26 mile marker at the wrong place last year, so I had to try to hold my 0.2 mile kick for over a half mile...I was NOT a happy camper!  It is a "fast" race, so I was very close to BOP, it was still really well supported though.  My only other complaint was the ambulance and/or cop car that drove right next to me for miles.  I WASN'T LAST (there were like 100 finishers behind me) and I had to breathe their fumes, which was less fun. 

Yikes!  Sounds like commitment is not their strong suit in general...

I wasn't thinking cold and icky, I was thinking just cold, and how you went out in the cold and rode your bike before the rest of us.

Thanks for the tips about the National Marathon!  It is hard to pace when that last marker is off so much.  That's strange about the ambulance being around you.  Maybe they had a couple out there and was following the last people too.

Ah, so that's what happened in the 5k.  Is your wife going to come and watch you finish the HAT run?

I haven't done an off-road tri yet.  I have a friend who did the one out in Flintstone (XTerra) and he had good things to say about it.  He said it was just fire roads, so it didn't sound as crazy as what those guys do out at Patapsco State Park.

I have done an adventure race where we biked and ran on trails, and it was a bit much for the bike.  People had to walk the bike in many spots.  But that's just one race.  There's probably some races that are easy dirt roads/trails and some that are tough.

If it wasn't worth getting nervous about, it wouldn't be as exciting. :-)  You are so ready for it though, it's just a matter of carrying it out.  And thing is, no matter how fast or slow you are, it doesn't matter, as no one can relate. :-)  If you did 12 minute miles or 10s, or even 15s, it's all the same, because we have no idea what is that race is like, or to do 50k over such terrain.  In fact, people might be more impressed if you did 6 hours than if you did 4. :-)

So just do your thing and make us proud. :-)

That's funny about your friends.  Yeah it would be hard to train when they are discovering each other like that.

bump.  Anyone excited for March Madness?  I get to watch while I'm on the trainer today... first swim lesson is tonight!!

Damn.  I hate when my laptop is logged in as Josh!! --Becky

Go Morgan State! :-)

I don't pay much attention except for local schools, both of whom look to be out in the 1st or 2nd round.  Sounds like Becky has a great training day today!

I'm on a rollercoaster of an awesome workout, then a tired day; awesome workout, tired day.  Might be sick, or maybe pushing too much on the training days.

C'mon spring!!!

My training has been up and down as well.  I'll have a great run or good swim, but then my bike will be slow or vice versa. 

The swim lesson tonight went quickly, but I think it helped a lot.  I am not exactly sure what I learned, but her little tweaks here and there on my balance and stroke really made me feel better.  We'll find out tomorrow if I can apply it all during a normal swim set.