GrooveTime!group - CLOSED!!! (Page 133)

DENISE -

You get first dibs on the post-race food!

I love it when races "honor" us seasoned people by having us in the early waves. Eagleman (MD) is exceptional about this. The pros go first, then 4 minutes later the elites, then 4 minutes later the 50+........and then about 12 minutes until the next wave. Sweet!

As for clothing ----- heck, you're the one who did the Polar Bear Plunge! You think i'm going to worry very much about you cycling when it's 45?? Ha! ( )

(The two of you -- you and Steve. You're jumping into ice-crusted wtaer in Minnesota in january, he's bobbing about in the Pacific for an hour with the water temp hovering at 55. Sheesh!)

ANYHOW, try a loose-fitting technical top. I say loose because getting something tight over a wet body is a real hassle, and I say technical because that's what will more quickly dissipate* whatever pool water is still on your person when you begin the bike. (I'm assuming you're not going to take too much care to dry yourself thoroughly.) But it's a good idea to do the dress-rehearsal you're thinking of, at the temp you'll likely be riding in on race day.

What is the length of the bike? And what is the name of the race? I've forgotten!!


* I'm not sure dissipate is the right word. Is there a single word for "wick-away"? I'm looking for something that is less cumbersome than "successfully transport skin-surface moisture back to the outside environment".

DENISE again -

Thank you for making that link clickable.............and congrats for even doing it! That's another in a long line of computer skills I have never figured out, so it is always an enormous thrill when it just happens all on its own, and highlighted in blue, too!

CARBS 'R' US??

According to Matt Fitzgerald's "Racing Weight", last week I should've taken in about 620g of carbs daily, given my 12:41 minutes of working out during the week. I don't have any clear idea what my daily carb intake is, but I'd be surprised if it was 620g/day.

For those of you who have counted calories (or carbs), how easy is it to hit 620 or so?

Just curious!

ANNE -

Santa Fe! Do the one in Santa Fe! New Mexico is god's half-acre!

Is it the Ottawa-Kingston ride you were thinking about? I've heard it is not all that well-serviced, but still draws a huge crowd. i guess at some point i should consider soemthing like that, but.....

Still snow on the ground here! Bah! How about you?

Good ride yesterday?

BEST OF FORTUNES WITH THE RUN TODAY!!!!!

And is it a clunk, or a crackle? Crepitation is the term for a crackle, i think, and that usually means cartilage. I think. A clunk, though, sounds quite different. I can't really explain it, but it's not like anything I have experienced. Clunk; hmmmm.

TRACEY and MANDY -

Ceeeeeeltiiiiiiiiics!!

Red Sox!

4 out of 5 for the Sox! I think last night was their 9th one-run game of the season. (Is Terry F. sleeping well?? )

SteveA
When you're going to enter a message, there's a bunch of icons above what you're entering.  Click on HTML and a box will appear.  Paste your link in this box and click update. Voila!
Denise

ps - Chain of Lakes 600 yd swim/13 mile bike/2.8 mile run
The reason they have the slow go 1st is because of the time between each swim heat - they don't want the race to last all day.
The 1st heat is at 9am and the elites go about 10:30

DWAYNE -

Tough crowd to please! Good for Jugdge Wiley on that decision for Kaufman County, but now Dallas County chimes in. Quiibble, quibble, quibble! I wouldn't want to be the RDs on this one, especially with one already served with a warrant!

As a Full Service Mentor, maybe I ought to come down there and knock a few noggins together on your behalf!

The one thing I would add is, if you have the TI book Triathlon Swimming Made Easy" I encourage you to read it. In this book, near the end, chapters 15 & 16, he talks about how to get faster using TI and does discuss increasing stroke rate (and using a tempo trainer). I find it a good reference book. Mark

I have done a tri in Kingston a few times in mid May with a pool swim and was surpised to see that they had us slower swimmers go first, but I really liked it because you felt like a part of the race the entire time.   You cross the finish line and there are still lots of competitors on the route.    Found it a bit more motivating.   Usually I am in the last wave and I do manage to catch 60 to 80 cyclists depending on the race, for the most part I find myself cycling alone.    

Hope you have a great race this weekend.    I'm pretty confident you are going to ace it!   

DEFINITELY a CLUNK.  

No snow here but I find it pretty chilly.   Dressed well and was comfortable enough on the bike yesterday and even with the north wind my face didn't feel cold, but the winds were 35-40 km/hr.   Headwind up the hill.   Got a good warm up and then did the 7 x 1 minute climbs.   It said to go hard but controlled - a pace you could hold for 6-8 minutes but both Ken and I found we were going too hard.    Found it hard to get the right intensity; maybe because of the headwind I was trying harder than normal.   Only did 4 sets because of time constraints.  

The right knee felt tight initially - took about 3km of riding and it loosened up.    Hopefully, it's just gotten out of alignment again.    Do you think I need to do some knee strengthening exercises?   I found that when my hip kept going out it was because of weak muscles and after working on hip strengthening, I have had no problems.  

I may not run today.   Think it would be wise to see the osteo first and I know she won't want me running after the treatment.     I am finding it hard to get back into the 'routine' after being away so long.    Really thankful it is a recovery week.  

DENISE -

Thank you -- but it's me, SteveB (the OTHER Steve!), who is the computer idiot; SteveA could likely figure this out in a heartbeat.

I will experiment with tat, but I have no great hopes. People in my other group tried to tell me how I could get access to the more diversified yellow smilies.....and I fialed and failed and failed again. So while I really enjoy using the smilies, i am milited to the four that appear on the pages here.

(The forum at www.timbermantri.com has a whole platoon of yellow ones right on the forum page. Nirvana! Valhalla!)

As for Chain of Lakes, I think you will be fine at 13 miles on the bike. You really do seem to have a bit of the tough-as-nails about you, certainly more than I have! I came out of a cold Lake George last September and did 24 miles in what was likely about 50 degrees, and aside from putting on arm warmers shortly after I got going on the bike (and taking them off about 20 minutes later), it was just a dripping me and my regular tri clothes. But to be safe and eliminate any nagging concerns, think about a loose top. You'll be nice and toasty!

And that's a great spread of time between you and the elites! I like the style of the RD!

ANNE -

There is a very simple strengthening exercise that often works well for "runner's knee" or "chonodromalachia patella", and it involves the vastus medialis muscle (I think that's right; I'll check later). To find that little baby, sit normal with your upper and lower legs at 90 degrees to each other. From your knee caps, trace about 2-3 inches towards the inside of your leg (if it's the right, go to 7 o'clock; for the left, 5 o'clock). If you think you have it (and it's not always obvious), then that will be your focus point for the following:

Extend the leg out straight in front of you, resting it on another chair or a bench at the same height. Then tighten the extended leg by kind of contracting the kneecap. Keep your finger on where you think the v.m. is, and if you are doing this correctly, you should feel the v.m. become hard and prominent. Voila! You're there! Do this a few times a day, holding each contraction for 5-10 seconds. Maybe start at just three reps, and then work to five or so. You don't want to tighten down too hard, as a sensitive knee won't like this.

The vastus medialis (or whatever it's name really is) is apparently a major player in tracking a kneecap properly. So if your problem is in fact related to imporper tracking, this exercise might help.

I will try to find the book that explains all this much better than I just have. I think he has a proper protocol, too; I was just taking a stab at the reps and durations. But if you just gently play around with this in the interim, I don't think you can do any harm.....and you will have managed to make the acquaintance of a new muscle!

(If I can't find the book and protocol, I'll let you know asap ---- which may be this evening?)

Hi,

Another BTer in the MN forum suggested I do a test - so I did. 46 and 8mph wind - I took a shower in my tri-suit and then ran outside and transitioned to the bike and rode a couple miles.  It was very cold - but tolerable.  Problem is - now I can't get warm.  I'm shivering and drinking hot tea.  I probably should have added a 1 mile run so I would warm up.
Denise
ps Oops - I meant SteveB, not SteveA

I did a triathlon last October and it was 55 degrees.  I was fine out of the swim (no wetsuit and in my one piece tri suit the entire time) but my toes really got cold on the bike.  When I went to start my run, my feet were numb and it took about a mile before I got any feeling back in them.  So, I would second STEVE B's recommendation for toe warmers.  I think that would have helped immensely.

My son's baseball team won their semi-final game last night 15-0, and will be playing in the championship game tonight!!  Go Rough Riders!! 

DWAYNE, have you been following the thread on the Texas forum about the Warrior Dash?  Can't believe they are charging $10 for parking.  Hopefully, things will be able to go as planned with some modifications in venue.

STEVE A and DENISE, hope you are enjoying your taper week. We'll all be sending each other positive vibes on Saturday morning!  Calling for possible rain for my race with humidity and a LOW of 74 degrees (yuck!).  At the water will have warmed up a bit ... was 77 degrees on Monday.

Hope everyone is having a great week!  Sending healing powers to all with injuries!

Edited by lufferly 2010-04-28 9:56 AM

Lisa,
I'll take 45 degrees over 74 degrees any day. Yuck!  What are your distances?
Denise

For those of you who like a little Baskin Robbins:
http://www.baskinrobbins.com/spotlight/31CentScoopNight.aspx

31 cents a scoop. Limit of 3 per person. Tonight only 5-10pm.

You are welcome.

Yep, just keep at it.  If there are any flat, little used roads nearby, invest in the time to get on them and just practice getting down, staying down and pedaling, even if you're going slowly.  I found the sensation of speed was very different at first - it seems like you are flying when you are really just going the same as before. 

Other tips - try not to grab the aerobar.  When I am going downhill or riding hard, I constantly think to myself, "light hands!".  The tighter you grip those aerobars, the more they will shake and the more unstable you will feel. 

Bikes are awesome machines in that if left to their own devices, they want to stay upright and go straight.  I have to work on it still to this day where I have to remind myself to trust the bike to keep going straight and to stay upright when it's going fast - because that's exactly what it wants to do - the only thing preventing that is me fidgeting with it, fighting the aerobars, braking when I don't need to, etc.

74 degrees will be tougher with the humidity.  Last June, I did a tri that was 85 degrees at the start.  I'd much rather deal with the cooler weather, especially when I'm running.

Distances are 500m OWS, 15 mile bike, 5K run.

I'm just not feeling as prepared as I would have been a month ago.  I would have been able to practice the swim course this weekend (on Saturday AND Sunday) if I would have been home.  And I would have liked to have had the time to do the bike course, but too much stuff going on (although I did get my husband to drive it with me so I could get a feel for it, as well as the run).  It's the first time that I've done this particular race (so pressure's off to get a PR on the course!).  Planning on just going and having fun, and being thankful that I can be out there participating (ha, at least that's what I'm telling myself!). 

Getting close to go time!

Car is packed and in the parking garage.  Bike is sitting next to my desk.  Trying to get the day done so I can get in the car and head out.

Gameplan:
Today:  Leave work, stop by mall to pick up gift for Maggie, drive to Vegas, sleep.
Tomorrow: 

• Pick up brother from airport in Vegas
• Drive to St. George, check in at hotel and register at race HQ
• Quick dip in Sand Hollow
• Obsess over T2, T2 and SN bags for the evening.

Friday:  Wake up before 8:30 - step outside and see what air feels like at 8:30. 

• Ideally, go for a very quick spin on the bike (15-30 minutes) to really get a feel for air temp and finalize clothing strategy for race morning. 
• Tweak T1 and Bike SN bags accordingly. 
• Go drop off gear. (MAYBE another quick dip in Sand Hollow - just to stretch it out, but no real exertion of any kind)
• Hang out at hotel, graze, hydrate, doze, chill, stay off feet

Went to LBS yesterday and dropped all sorts of money on stuff I'm going to return.  But, I did get the toe covers for the bike, and a black jersey with arm sleeves for a little more warmth on the bike.  Got 3 additional tire change bags - none of which work for the bike!  They all go back.  I'm just going to go with my standard 1-tube set-up, and throw a second tube/cartridge wrapped up together into my jersey pocket.  Nothing else is going back there so it should work fine.

And that, as they say, is that. 

I'll try to post a bit from the road on the old Blackberry and hotel computer.  Will try to take lots of pictures, and such.

OH, one last thing.  if you go to www.ironmanstgeorge.com and go to the Course page, they have a link to a photo-site with pictures of the swim, bike and run course.  Beautiful country - everyone at work thinks it looks like "moonscape", but I think it's cool.

Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick....

Good luck SteveA
You should be very, very proud of all the work you've done to get to this point. 
Denise

Speaking of which... when do they normally start the first-timers wave? (If there is one...)

I'd say it's pretty easy to get to 620g of carbs per day. A typical slice of bread has about 25g. One serving of pasta (1 cup cooked) has about 45. An apple has 20 or so. An orange has (I think) about 40, and a banana is somewhere around 70 I think (maybe more).

I used to do Atkins quite some time ago so I still remember some carb counts...


Edited: I was wrong about the banana... it's more like 25 grams per banana. I knew 70 sounded high!



Edited by thall0672 2010-04-28 5:06 PM

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR RACE STEVE!!!    Just went through the pictures of the course.   It IS really cool.   What made you decide to do this race?    Parts of it look flat but it looks like a tough one to me.  

I noticed the temp said 77*, but quite windy.    I saw that Denise would prefer 45* to 75*.  I think my muscles would seize up on me.      What's your preference?   

Have a wonderful time.    

  

For my weight, during Foundation/Base training I'm supposed to get 320-360 and it's pretty easy.    I find it gets a bit tougher as the training progresses and gets more intense.   You pretty much need to graze all day, every couple of hours.   Otherwise, I find you have to eat too much in one sitting.    I ALWAYS seem to be a bit low on the protein.  

You could try tracking your food on BT for 2-3 days just to get an idea.   It's quite user friendly.