BigSkiesMentorGroup - COMPLETE! (Page 13)

Trina,

Here's some input on use of the watches. I have used mine for several years so I have my button use down! Your button use may vary from mine but this is what I do.

On the Garmin 305, I usually have it so 4 screens show but if I am doing a workout that I need to focus on one particular screen, I will put it to 3 screens with the most important screen in the bigger box. So if it is an HR workout that would be bigger. Or if I wanted to keep a certain pace, I would set the pace box bigger. The other thing is the big screen will show the seconds after an hour where the smaller ones, the seconds disappear after an hour. So I do fiddle with it every once in awhile.

On the Timex. Use the left bottom button to get to the mode, which is usually “chrono” mode for timing your workout and then “review” mode afterward.

When in chrono mode, you can use the right top button to (re)set your display. I usually have it on Lap and HR. Again if I am doing an hr workout, I use that as the bottom or big display and if I am doing a timed interval workout (or during the triathlon), I use Lap as the bottom/big display. This (big display) has become more of an issue as I get older. If you are not using the hrm function, the options are lap and split. The lap will give you the time for that lap or interval, the split will give you overall time.

To start timing just press the button on the lower part of the face of the watch to start and then press again for each interval or lap, when you are finished with your workout press the top right button to stop the timing.  If you are interrupted during your workout and don’t want to include that time in your overall workout you can press, stop, that top right button and then just hit the start button again to continue where you left off. But remember to restart and to press the stop button when finished with the workout. I sometimes forget to do this.

When in review mode, you use the button on the lower part of the face of the watch to scroll through your workout, if you have input your HR zones, it will give you the time in your desired zone. Then your avg HR for entire workout, then peak and min HR and total calories. Then it goes through your laps and splits, with the last split having your overall time. And each lap having its own avg HR, assuming you used that function during your workout.

This is what works for me. Hopefully this information will help get you using and liking the watch.

A follow up question on the bricks.  When should one start (and stop) doing them in relation to a race?

My tri is June 26.  Should I already be doing bricks and when should I stop?  (I can comfortably swim, ride and run the necessary distances and in the case of the swim and ride, do more.)  How often a week should I do bricks? (I'm really hoping the answer is 1x)

Since Steve suggested a format for bricks that is "NOT ... an early foray into bricks,"  what would be a brick workout that is an "early foray into bricks"?  I've considered riding to my gym (@ 2 mi) swim and then ride back or simply combining a shorter ride followed by a run.  Any suggstions would be great. (I'll continue to dig around on this site and in the books I have at home.)

Thanks for the info on the watches.  I think I'll get a Timex 100 lap.

Canon

stevebradley - 2011-05-05 10:13 PM SANDRA - Glad to see you're back in business! Lynn does Zumba sometimes and says it is wicked hard. So, if you survived that, you're ready for anything! I will sit back for a day or so and see how others respond to your question about open-water swimming alone. The reason I will keep quiet is that I always do it alone, and have since I began this stuff in '00....and so I'm not the one who has really sound advice for you. I can mention a few safety checks when the summer season is in full flow, but I'll wait and see what else comes up here from people who are more prudent than I have been! I will say, however, that many people do their first non-pool triathlon with ZERO open-water training, so you will be fine as long as you have done decent swim training in the pool beforehand. More on that later, too, but for now here's a teaser -- "chasing bubbles". (What do you think that means? )

Yeah, I would like to hear how other people train for open swim. I can wait. I'm certainly not going out tomorrow 

As for Zumba, unbelievable how much we sweat there! But it is fun.

After the class, both injuries, the achilles tendon and the left knee (injured both crossed ligaments in January) were soar. However, I went to run another mile and a half today, and almost no pain anywhere which is a huge relief. Maybe I'll be able to run 3k on May 29th.

"chasing bubbles" I don't know what that means. Maybe swimming using a bad technique splashing water around? Or because there might be too many people around too close? or maybe while I'm drowning I'll chase and follow my own bubbles to find the surface again

Sandra

Zumba-  I have wanted to try this class ever since one of my gyms added it to their schedule!  I am going to start going in two weeks...that's if a spot in the class opens up as predicted.  I've heard it's a lot of fun!

Steve:  my race is next weekend, 5/14.  Even though I am nervous about the race, I am also bummed that I don't have another race to train for.  So...I have kicked my searches into high gear and have been looking high and low and I might sign up for the Lurray sprint tri in VA.  I'm also exploring the VA Beach, Richmond, Delaware, North PA, NY (Binghamton & Poughkeepsie / NYC) area for other races (aquabikes, duathlons, sprints, and even would entertain an olympic if that was my only option).  Hopefully I'll be able to add at least two more to my schedule!  As far as swimming goes I guess I would like to improve on my kick and my speed.  I am going to check out the sites that someone posted to see waht I can find there.  I also spent a good two hours at Barnes and Noble reading through some triathlon magazines and blogs looking for ideas. 

As far as training goes for me I have really picked up my bike training.  I'm doing hill repeats, for about 5-6 miles, in the afternoons at work since the bike portion is the part that I am just flat out NOT good at.  Hopefully the effort will pay off. 

I had to work late on Wednesday so I missed the Newton running clinic at the running store.  Work always gets in the way of fun stuff!!!

Steve,

Seeing how it is you that asked the question below I would say that....

Bubbles is the 1st name of the leading point earner in the USAT M60-64 AG 

Sorry couldn't resist!!

stevebradley - 2011-05-05 11:13 PM  but for now here's a teaser -- "chasing bubbles". (What do you think that means? )

Sandra,

A couple of thoughts from a novice that lives by the beach....I would recommend swimming with a group, of course. The master swim club here usually has a few people that go out and swim on the week-ends.  So I would recommend asking around and you will most likely find someone else that will want to try.  Once you go out, don't forget a bright color cap (better visibility) and I recommend your wet suit  in case you run into problems since the bouyancy can help.  I confess that I have done a few swims on my own.  I swim parrell and fairly close to the beach and only when it is flat out (no waves).  Out here I have the luxury of a relatively shallow water depth plus the beaches usually have enough people laying out/walking around that I am confident someone would be able tell the rescue squad which way my body was floating.  Overall the experience was helpful getting used to swimming without a black line on the bottom.  As far as sighting, not sure it helps given there is not much to sight on other than things in the far distance.  When my wife was practicing open water I took the kayak out and was the bouy (of course you have to watch your drift).   Have fun....

JK

What a week!!

My husband had an MRI for a back problem that wouldn't go away, and they found an AAA - abdominal aortic aneurysm.  It's sometimes called "the silent killer" because it often has no symptoms, but can burst, and you die.  Not good that he has it, but very good that they found it.  So, we were sent to Duluth for the week - tests and then surgery,  They found another aneurysm in a leg artery.  They did this amazing surgery where they thread a stent through the arteries to the aorta and then inflate it - it has little hooks that attach. And there's a little sensor attached also, so for checkups, they just wave a wand over your abdomen and it measures the pressure.  Modern surgical technology is amazing.  He was sent home the day after surgery and we're home now and he is a very happy camper.

Steve - now that he's ok, I need some help figuring out what to do now that I've missed almost a week of workouts.  I had a sprint scheduled for tomorrow which I will miss - but no big deal.  I'm kind of panicky about the 1/2(July 17) but I think I can salvage this - mostly the bike I'm worried about.  Running will be fine I think, I'm up to 9 1/2 miles at a good pace.  Swimming will be slow but I've done a couple 2200 yds.  I have only ridden bike outside 4 times - I really think I should try to get in really a lot of biking.  Should I just go back to my regular schedule and just forget about last week??

Hope training is going well for everyone

Denise