Beer Drinker Appreciation Society - Open For Business (Page 131)

Thanks all for the encouragement! I'm excited and nervous, which I have been for a couple days already, and I'm not racing until Sunday...it's gonna be a long few days!



Jenn - 8am gun time, but the since the swim is time trial start by 100m time, fastest swimmers first, it might be 8:30 or later by the time I go!! I put my 100m time on the registration as 2:00 which honestly is optimistic, despite being terribly slow. I could do 1 100 in less than 2 minutes, but by my 4th 200 it's gonna be closer to 2:30...yes in crawl, yes you can swim that slow without sinking.

Catch up time!

Destination Tri ABSOLUTELY. As long as it's next year I can plan/budget/etc. I will be able to do an Olympic length next year but that's as far as I'll commit to. And with that the swim is still going to be a struggle - why is there such a huge jump from sprint distance swim to Oly I'll never know...At least the Oly swim gets you pretty well set for a 70.3.

Jenn So excited about the bike fit! Both that you were able to do it with the foot and especially that it went so well! My only fit so far is the shop guy looking at me ride the bike around the parking lot and saying 'eh, looks good, probably need to move the seat back about 1/4" '. Which I still haven't done, despite constantly shifting myself back in the saddle then sliding forward then shifting...I'm afraid to do it now, too close to race day

Cadence I hadn't realized there were inexpensive cadence meters. I'd really like to look into this, after all the advice from Alan and watching the TdF I know I need to be spinning a lot more RPM to get up hills, even the small ones I run into.

Dave Congrats on beating your self imposed goal! BTW that's a long damn swim for an olympic like distance - lol. You guys and your swim skills...man! Still need to talk to the CFO about a Franciscan Children's donation - I'll set a reminder! Oh and Hoppin Frog - we get those here in MA, though I haven't seen the Gangster Frog IPA, I'll keep an eye out.

Oh and I can't get the link to the race report to work. It keeps making me log in even though I already am, then when I do it just goes to the BT home page...

Scott 3rd in your AG - CONGRATS! Does this mean Dave owes you a Massachusetts beer? And 5 minutes off last year, that's huge in a (multi) sport where people are looking for seconds! Rocking the s*it out of the tri top too. We might be the only two that own them!

Gretchen Great job spotting the camera and getting a smile out! I thought I found them all at my last 5k but looking at the collectino of race photos....not so much. At least some of them I look determined instead of dying, haha.

Kate Congrats on your longest ever run! And Guinness is absolutely good for you. Ever see their old-timey ad posters, there's one that says 'Guinness for Strength!' Totally agree :D

Mike Congrats on 2nd in your AG! That's awesome! And at elevation too! The scenery must be absolutely gorgeous for that...

Sandi Sounds like waiting an extra week or two for the first tri of the year paid off!!! Congrats on 1st in your AG! For everything you've gone through this year to get to it, it's just awesome. And the mixed amber and IPA is genius. Glad they have a Pale ale project now! We have this local after work pub where we occasionally go, duh, after work. The beer selection isn't great but they have a couple decent beers. We've ended up doing the same thing, blending them. to get something more along the lines of what we want.

I'm with you on the bike shoes, only I don't really have an excuse other than fear. I have the pedals and the shoes and the cleats but haven't put them all together yet, and won't before race day. I figured I'd do it right after the race but then on the bike ride on my race course, there's one stop sign with a right turn where you have to actually stop - it's a blind hill on the left, and there's a cop there for traffic on race day even though it's a right turn. Anyway I stopped, looked, went, a car came out from behind the blind hill, I stopped and moved over, there was a curb, I was wobbling the handlebars and hit the front tire with my pedaling foot and knocked myself over. Had I been clipped in I would have gone over all the way to the ground. Is this just a freak incident or is this one of the times that 'you WILL fall, a lot, then eventually you'll get used to clipping out first'?

So Thor, you're saying that the use of the shoes is definitely resulting in faster times?

If I work hard at it, can I get as efficient without the use of bike shoes/clips? Or is aiming for this completely unrealistic? At this point I don't consider being clipped in to be an option just given the medical/visual circumstances.

Sandi

Yeah for me there's no excuse other than being a chicken, and lazy.

One thing I did notice when on the group ride of my race bike course Sunday, I could not keep up on the hills. Part of that is not being a better cyclist, part of it is not being able to use the pull up stroke on the pedals.

No doubt, bike shoes will make you much more efficient cyclist and shorten your times significantly. Agree with Thor that yes, at some point you will fall (first time I used them 10 years ago in a mountain bike race, and flipped over the bike -with the bike- a few times.... learned a lot!). Since than, cannot imagine going out without them, as with no helmet!
Juan

Medium run for me today with some pick-ups. Pace was good and I felt good near yhe end.

Sandi--could/would you use cages instead of clipless pedals? My sister is terrified of clipless pedals (for no good reason, as far as I can tell), but she uses cages and gets some of the benefits of being able to pull and push.

I jumped right in with clipless pedals when I got my "adult" bike. Perhaps not the best move, but I didn't know any better at the time. Ignorance is bliss, right?

Question: Saturday is my long bike and I estimate I'll need about 30 miles to meet my time goal on my plan. I only have two bottle cages on my bike, which I don't think will be enough. What do you all do for hydration? I have a Camelback that I use for hiking, but I just don't think it would be terribly comfortable. Do you just stop at a gas station and buy water, or is there some magic cyclist trick I've not learned yet? Probably worrying more that I should because my wife is out of town this week and she's my support vehicle when I run into issues.

Ok after Sunday's first tri I have until August 16th (my 2nd tri) to learn how to clip in/out. Not a lot of time but should be enough right? I have the pedals (Look Keo Max), 2 different pairs of keo compatible road shoes (Shimano road shoes and the Shimano tri shoes I got from Kurt), cleats, I haven have the wrench that will fit between the pedal and the crank. It's on!

Gretchen - my wife went through the same last year before her first olympic, and went with the camelback. She was debating taking the bladder out of the little backpack and just using that but instead went with the whole thing I believe. She does on our bike trail rides, and has on her long rides to date - 30 miles each time. She hasn't had any comfort issues, at least not any more uncomfortable than being on a little tiny bicycle seat for that much time

missed a few days. Good luck to all that are racing this weekend!

Clips are the way to go, of course I say that having not been on a bike without them since I was a kid. When I decided to get into this sport I bought a used bike from a friend. It had clips and he gave me shoes. It had been at least 15-20 years since I had ridden a bike and I was very nervous about it. I went to a dead end street in my neighborhood and practiced for about an hour. clip in, clip out......(stationary with each foot) then when i felt ok with it I clipped in with both and pedaled a stroke or 2, then out. repeated till I felt good then i would ride then whole street (only about .25 miles). I practiced clipping in and out the whole time while moving. Then I finally went on a real ride the next day. I was still nervous since it was my first ride ever on the street, first real ride with clips, fist ride on a tri bike ect.. but I made it. Now its just natural. I don't know any other way.

I currently use the shimano cleats that are very similar to the keo. you will be fine by race day.



Edited by b2b14 2015-07-24 3:46 PM

Busy day for me, but not one of those days where you actually get a lot done. Oh...you know, except those four workouts! I started the morning off with a 17.7 mi bike ride. I may have found a new "regular" route for those days I only want some hills (not all hills, all the time). Then, I came home and had my truck towed to the tire store (wife drove it with a flat and tire came off the rim--I didn't say a word!). Made my truck arrangements and headed to the gym for a strength session and a short swim. After lunch I had to get myself up to the tire store again to pick up my truck. So, I walked the two miles. I wish I could say I ran it, but I just didn't have it in me to get in the trifecta today. Now, somehow, it is 4pm already and a Shock Top raspberry wheat magically showed up in my hand while I'm throwing the ball for the dog. TGIF!!!

Good luck to this weekend's racers!!!!!!

Thanks guys for the advice and encouragement! It'll be my project for next week.

The stiffness of the shoe sole does bring up a question - I noticed a while back that my SPD cleat shoes I have for spin (with the recessed cleats MTB shoe style) work just fine with my flat pedals. I'm not clipped but I get the stiff sole. I've been training like that for a while and it honestly was better than my well cushioned running shoes so I stuck with it.

For race day it means I need to change shoes one extra time and any benefit I get from the stiff sole on the bike is probably going to be negated in transition.

But it's my first tri, I don't want to do anything I'm not used to on race day, and I really want to have fun with it this year and worry about improving transition times next year. I think not worrying about seconds is helping me relax this year. Otherwise I'll be the one biking in a wetsuit, running in a bike helmet, or ending up without pants somewhere. Which is against USAT rules!

Guess I answered my own question huh? Happy National tequila day everyone!

Gretchen - love how the beer just fell into your hand! I believe the same is going to happen win a margarita when I get home.

It IS national tequila day!

Wow - I missed a few days due to travel and I missed a lot. I will try to catch up on the thread this weekend but I'm going to be busy. While I should have all the time in the world thanks to the fact that my family has gone to my inlaws for 10 days (can I get an amen!!!), I've got my 25th high school reunion tomorrow which is a 3 hour drive away. In order to get my long run in - I'm gonna have to get up around 5... ugh! Then on Sunday, I'm making an unusual kind of beer - a cherry pie ale - made with an actual cherry pie I brought back with me from Michigan.

I proud to report I won a bet I had with my PTA tonight. He had to lose 8 and I had to lose 7. Winner buys dinner. He lost 3 pounds over the last 4.5 weeks - and I lost 11 (aided by a 2 hour bike ride prior to weighing in). The beer and the burger tasted great.

So tired right now - I'm going to bed. Hope all is well with everyone! Good luck to all those who are racing!

X2 - this is great advice. Practice until you are comfortable. My one addition - always remember, when riding on the road, to clip on with your right pedal. That way - should you miss and fail to clip out - you won't fall into traffic.

Run is in the books! Morning importantly - good luck to all those racing this weekend. I'm looking forward to seeing some celebratory beer pics!

Double IPA ready to go to secondary. Did a brick yesterday 4/45. I was dead on the run. Celebrated with a knob creek bourbon and a seeing double IPA. Then today was a 1:30 run. I walked a little at the end which I'm not thrilled with. Have an hour bike ride later today then day off tomorrow!


Ps if you look in the bottom right you can see my base nutrition salt stick. I washed it and it was drying.

Edited by b2b14 2015-07-25 9:39 AM






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29.47mi on the bike today--a personal best distance-wise (would have been 30 even, but the gravel guy called when I was five miles from he and said he be here in 30 min). Moderately hilly with a few good, long hills to work up. It was maybe a bit much for my current level, but I didn't realize that until I was 15 miles from home and since my wife is out of town, I had no choice my ego would allow me to take. I rode on a highway for the first time too. About 10 miles of the total route was on a two lane highway. I'm not sure if I just picked a bad one, or if all highways are like this, but lots of cars wouldn't move over even an inch (the majority gave me the lane, but it only takes one to kill you). I know the local cycling club rides the south leg of this highway all the time (it leads to the local wineries), but that is too hilly and technical for my skill level right now. Plus, if I'm going to a winery, I don't want to have to worry about riding home!

Decided to stay up after work and catch one of the morning group rides that rolls out at around 8. Me and 3 other guys left my neighborhood at 6:35, met up with another group around 7 and then went to the start for an 8 o'clock roll out with the rest of the ride. After linking up with the first group, it was pretty much a free for all to where the 8 o'clock group starts. Me and the 3 guys from my neighborhood stuck together and took turns pulling, we held between 23-25mph on the way out..

Group got together, about 60 or so to come right back the way we started. Group was holding between 22-24mph for the first 8 or so miles, then kicked it up to around 25mph, looked down at one point and saw 28mph on my watch. We were moving.

Me and the other guys from my neighborhood decided to break off early and head home, the other guys were just getting settled in and the pace was going to get even faster. Club leader was out of town this week, so there was nobody to keep the group under control. There's some powerhouses out here for sure.

So ended up right at 40 miles on the bike today, changed really quick into my running gear and did a 4 mile run. Kept it sub 9, but was really hurting towards the end.


Now I'm going to sleep. Gotta work tonight.

You're gonna love those Tri shoes! Ditch the socks with them too! Don't worry, that foot fungus I have isn't contagious....

Only kidding. Besides, I gave them a nice long OxyClean soak and hot day in the sun to dry out before you bought them. Heck, they were in the shoe box for 3yrs since the last time I wore them. (sad. very sad.)




Sorry I've been on here so INfrequently. Just busy trying to chase kids and get training in.
Only scheduled Tri for this year is NEXT WEEK!!! I'm only sorta ready. My eyes are on the prize though, and that's NEXT YEAR. This is just my refresher, and for fun. State Games of America though....so I feel like I'm in some sort of amateur Olympic thing, and I'll be the guy people are looking at, wondering who let the fat kid in. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Kurt

Whoa, Devon! Bad A$$!!