kaqphin (Super Cat's) Mentor group - CLOSED (Page 13)

The new triathlete program sounds like a lot of fun if you are able to do it! And Im sure you would get some great advice too!

Yeah that program sounds awesome definitly join even if you don't do the race.

Can't wait to hear about the 1/2 marathon.

My weekend was filled with crossing a lot of milestones.

Made it to 180lbs!! 25 lbs down from my highest weight post injury.  And I am starting to see muscle definition!

First Club Ride!! The ladies were nice and even the Cat 1 riders warmed up to me in the end.  The "whizzing" sound is so cool!  And now I know why everyone loves drafting.  They also went at an easier pace which was good so that I was actually working in my lower zones which I need to do more often.  I only got dropped on the UBC hill (my arch enemy!) but I wasn't last so now I have a new goal- don't get dropped!!

First Metric Century!! The club ride, when I added up riding there and riding home was just over 100km in 4.5 hours.  Whew!!!

First Coached Ride!! The ladies were very nice and it totally pulled up my bike handling confidence.  Can't wait until we all trust each other more and really start working on paceline and riding close.

First Field Test! We did an LT field test over a false flat 4km at your highest effort.  Despite having ridden yesterday and feeling dead when I got on the bike this morning I rocked it!! And I know there is room to improve. thoughts of puking passed through my head but I pushed through and made it in a good time!

SIGNED UP FOR MY TRI on MARCH 9th!  Ok I did it!!!  and I have gotten over my hesitation to tell people.  I told my closest friends this week and during the club and coached ride I got over my hesitation to tell everyone that I am doing a triathlon!  Now I feel like I can tell anybody.

So I might have bagged my run and swim workouts since I spent 7 hours on the bike this weekend (yup my crotch is sore!) But this weekend has been a HUGE HUGE confidence booster!!!

And this is why you should put fender extenders on when going on a club ride.  So the person behind you doesn't look like this: 

Wow Jeni that whole weekend sounded awesome!

Congrats on signing up for your race... with riding like that Im sure you will have no problems with the fitness!!!!!

Hi everyone - just wanted to let you know Im in training for the next couple of days for work so I wont have my usual internet access all day at work but  I will try and check in each evening...

Im sure everything will truck along as normal without me anyway!

Brit - Congrats to you!  What an amazing accomplishment.  You must be so proud of yourself.    I am looking forward to reading your race report.

Jeni - Congrats to you as well!  What an amazing weekend!  That is so great that you signed up for your first race.  When is it?  I know you have to be just so excited.

Sorry I have been missing for a while, I have been sick.  I think my body is rebelling against better nutrition, exercise and no alcohol.    Hopefully I will get better soon.

oh man, good bread is definitly a weakness of mine.

I am looking for good IT band stretches.  I played squash for the first time since I messed up my knee today and my other knee- my "good knee" was really tight and sore along the outside, just above the knee.  I also can't seem to quite stretch my hamstring the way I need to in the same leg so it's just really tight and was affecting my game, not to mention bordering on painful.

So weired to try and get certain "fast twitch" muscles going again after a year.  It was like a delayed response between my brain and my legs.  But I was able to hit the ball, and I'm impressed with that! 

I'm in Vancouver, British Columbia.  Studying at the University of British Columbia.

Well it looks like I may do an 8.5km run February.  My friend is signed up to do the half-marathon and talked about the 8.5km and now I have that nagging voice in my head that says it might be fun... you all know that voice...  

The only issue is that I will be away the 4 days before the race for my research in northern BC and would be flying back the evening before the race. It's two weeks before my sprint but might be a nice confidence booster for my run leg and to see how a race works.

 4 of us are running at the crack of dawn tomorrow (7:30am- the sun doesn't rise til 8 these days).  It will be my first time ever running with someone else, but the deal is to run at the pace of the slowest person. So we'll see how I feel afterwards about doing the race.

Hey all. I have not disappeared off the face of the earth, just been working out of town for a few days. Finally back to training today and hope for a good solid week. Looks like everyone's been busy setting/achieving goals. Great job!!

My current short term goal is a half marathon at the end of February. It's maybe a little premature as my running has been patchy at best over the last few months. I haven't totally given up yet though and am going to try to focus on running for the next couple of weeks, try to do long runs on the weekends, and see how I'm feeling about the whole thing at the beginning of February. Any tips are welcome!

Warning: A bit of a self indulgent vent to follow...

Sorry, I am trying to tell myself how we all have different goals and paces and our individual accomplishments are more important than comparing ourselves to others- but its not working!! I had a demoralizing run this morning and I am trying to be positive about it, but it just wasn't fun.

I went running with friends, one of whom is training for a half marathon in a month and this was her recovery run day.  We  ran 5k and I felt like I was struggling the whole time. no muscle issues or pain, I was just struggling.  My friends were nice and we did a run 8 minutes walk 1 routine (our marathoner would so some fast running downhill and then jog back up to us so she could work on her downhill runs- very demoralizing).  I was the slowest and wasn't at a pace where I could really have a conversation.

So the good thing is that it made me push my pace but some of my confidence from the weekend is gone.  I am just struggling to be positive about it and I'm annoyed at myself for not feeling positive about it (6 months ago I would never have been able to contemplate running a 5k). Now I think I'll go jump on my bike for a bit just so I can feel happy again.

Jeni, I definitely sympathize on feeling down about being the slow one in the group.  But just remember you are among such a small percentage of people actually trying and improving at fitness.  Some day you'll be the one sprinting down the hill. 

And if you want an ego boost, come to the Washington, DC area and run with me.  I'm at about a 12 min/mile pace and die after about 4 minutes of that.  I was literally passed by a walker last week.  I'm not kidding!  You'd kick my rear any day.

Good job on the group run.  Look at it as mental training as well as physical training.  It always helps to work through the tough mental times like that!

I just went and looked at your log and I think you had a great run today.  I know it is demoralizing when you are running with people who are faster than you.  I completely feel your pain.  Just be proud of what you can do and know it is your absolute best.  For example, I have been trying to run forever and can't get passed 14 minute miles and can't run for more than a few minutes straight.  Now, my husand who hasn't run in 20 years and is slightly overweight, went out and in a matter of a month went from 13 min mile to running 7-8 minute miles.  It wasn't fair!     

Your times are where I want to be, so you are a role model to me!  I hope you can feel good about your run today.  If not, go look at my log, it will definitely make you feel better.  LOL 

Thanks for all the comments. And yeah I agree it was a good run. I think part a big part of my mood was  me being angry at my self for feeling bad about the run. Since my run is improving really well!!

I really like your point Kelley about the mental training. Because that is definitely a weakness of mine. I tend to psych myself out of things or walk away from them because I'm afraid to fail.  It's also part of the reason I make a point to write down those "zen moments" or positive moments from workouts in blue in my log.  So that I always find something positive in every workout and it helps motivate me for next time. It has been a really good way to leave every workout focusing on what I enjoyed about it so I look forward to the next one.

You all are so great and we do make up the small minority of people working to improve our physical and mental health in positive ways. I like the fact I decided to get on my bike to improve my mood, and it worked. Kind of like getting back on the horse after a fall. It was such a beautiful day I couldn't pass up the chance, even if the rest of my day is a little crammed now. yay bike!

And here too is why we are all awesome! At lunch, word had gotten around my residence that some of us had gone running this morning. I was talking with someone and someone else overheard and asked "what did you do?" I said, "we went for a 5k run this morning." He said "why on earth would you want to do that?" I said "so I can run a 5k after riding my bike for 20k after swimming half a mile." His look was absolutely priceless!!!! It stopped him dead in his tracks, jaw dropped, eyes bulged- the works. And he had absolutely no idea how to respond.

And I will think of that face next Tuesday when I'm fighting to keep up with the other runners.

Thanks everyone!!! You're the best and I look forward to returning the favor.

[/QUOTE i am considering doing it. the page is here www.liveloverun.com anyway, let me know, it'd be so cool if we could meet up there.

Hi - well Im back online after the training course... exhausted though... who knew that two days working on presentations would be so tiring!

Hope everyones training is going well... Im going to try and catch up on everyones logs in the next 24 hours!

Hey all...well, I missed my first workout last night (40 m bike) and cut my run short 3 miles today. I am going to try and make up the bike tonight, and the run mileage Fri/Sat.  I really want to meet each weeks planned training as this is my first tri season, but also have my first marathon next month (holy cow, one month from today, I just realized that!).  I definitely didn't do a  good job in food balance last night as, for one of the first times really, my GI tract had some issues.  I also don't know how those of you that live in cold areas do it. 

I do have a question for some of ya'll--how much do you train in the tri-shorts vs. bike shorts so you can be used to it for racing? Also, how much of a difference does being wet from the swim and getting on the bike make from just normal biking?  How much do y'all swim in your tri-suits prior to racing, and what do you do to take care of the suit with the chlorine? (same with the wetsuits--I'll be getting one before my end of March Tri and doubt I'll have a chance for any or much open water swim prior to that--that will be an interesting first for me). 

On a happy note, it's a long weekend for me. I get Sat-Tues off.  I have a LONG run scheduled Sunday, so hopefully I will feel ready to go the distance.  I am definitely comfortable with 1/2 Mary or less, but this marathon thing is a little intimidating.

x2 on Britts questions.

So I'm signed up- one month away from my 8.5 k race.  Which will be my first ever doing anything like this.  Last time I competed in anything was high school.

6.5 weeks from my first sprint Triathlon!

People at the pool were talking about it today and it looks like I am over my fear of telling people I am going to do it cause I chimed right in! YAY! My tri is notorious for rain and cold weather in early March so I am trying to figure out what to wear. I have heard people actually avoid signing up for the olympic distance because the rain is so bad. I am going to try and buy a tri suit in a month so I can shed some more weight before investing.  I have also been brainstorming what to wear on the bike since it will be cold and the route is windy.