PLMsbr (JD) Group - FULL (Page 14)

Hey peoples...it's me the stranger. I have been frustrated lately. Today the Y let me know they are canceling the cycling class. It was really helping me train...and it's frustrating. There were only 3 of us in the class so, I guess it's too small. As far as the other stuff things are going good...the only other thing is on days when I am really pushing myself...well the hot tub is broken so, I can't really do anything for muscles...what do you guys do to help that? Anything?

Yeah, my logs are bogus...haven't totally figured out how to use it so, I've been putting it in my fitday. Right now I am doing 60 min cardio, 60 min swim, and some weight training...then there is my cycling...which is now canceled That's about it for me right now. I am getting in 3 hours at the gym. The cycling is where I find myself the most challenged.

Yes, the article did have a couple things that popped out at me...

 This first one I learned from my son..he ran in the cold and ended up with chaffed nipples..it was horrible. <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}

Don't forget the body glide - Ever!  Right after I put on my sunblock I generously apply body glide to my crotch, nipples, back of the neck (to prevent wetsuit chafing) and on my arms and back where my tri-top meets my shoulders and chest.  Chafing marks and red rub rashes suck and can last for up to a week for me.

Now for my questions...

What is  “IT Band Syndrome”

What “ clif shot blocks” (I get it’s something eaten? But, what?)

And what does “pop a gel” mean? 

Reply to:

Awesome feedback, I am glad to read everyone's comments.  One tough ride vs. a hundred other successful rides (or at least that's what it seems like) should not get me down.  The bottom line is I have trained as hard as I can and whatever happens happens. 

My next long ride I am going to start with the uphill loop, then the way back will be easier and we'll see how that changes things. 

Headwinds both ways are not fair, I think Obama addressed that in his State of the Union as one of the things he was going to eliminate.  Okay, maybe not.

Anyway, I am still plugging away and going forward everyday.  It sounds like everyone is kicking butt.  Glad I don't work night shifts, that sounds brutal.

Hi Shawna - we missed you!!!

Interesting question. I looked around a bit, and found a box at the bottom of the page labeled "Actions", with a link for "Toggle email notification". Looks like you can turn that on, and then you'll get notified of updates to the thread. I don't know if it includes the content or just notifies of updates; but it's worth a try. Maybe some of the others have tried it?

Sorry to hear about the cycling class cancellation, but I'm glad to see that you continue pushing ahead with your training anyway. I see so many people use anything they can as excuse not to work out... And don't worry about not logging, you can keep us updated through your postings.

IT Band is a band of fibrous tissue that runs from the hip to the knee. When that gets irritated (all too common for runners), it causes knee pain/discomfort. Here's an article with some details.

Clif Shot Bloks are little square cubes with a flavor and texture similar to gummy bears. Basically an alternative to the gel packets, which are more like a thick liquid. There are a bunch of options out there for nutrition during exercise, so you have to experiment a bit and see what works for you (taste, texture, and how does your stomach handle it). In general, you really only need to worry about that for events that last over an hour.

Pop a gel is just a funny way of saying to eat a gel packet. I guess cause you can't really eat something that is more like thin pudding or paste

Keep those questions coming

Yep, I can see the comments. I have no doubts about how hard you are working   Some of you guys give me something to think about in terms of my own intensity levels! I was really just focusing in on those 3 types of workouts that I always talk about (LSD, tempo, and intervals). The logs certainly don't tell everything, I've already decided if I do ever coach anybody, there has to be some actual live conversation involved on a regular basis...

But back to the 3 workout types, I just had that re-enforced this morning as I was reading the material for the coaching clinic. They basically work different things in your body, and each has a valid purpose. Take the long bike, for example. You can do some killer workouts in shorter distances; but you still may find yourself in trouble if you haven't done a number of rides at or a little beyond the race distance. Then for the run, if you can do a 3-miler at 8:35, challenge yourself to run half mile intervals at 7:30, for example (or faster, not sure what your peak speed would be).

Anyway, just throwing out ideas for you guys to think about. What's worked best for me is to soak in advice from many different places and try different things out. Sometimes I get new ideas that help, sometimes I find it just doesn't do the trick.

BTW: 10 hill repeats and then a headwind home... wow; glad it wasn't me

^^^Thanks for the laugh!

Shawna, sorry to hear about the bike class.  I know before you were looking into getting a bike and a trainer.  Were you able to do that?

Myself, I actually got to do some swimming (if you could call it that) last night.  I went to a pool on the other side of town.  It is a $10 million facility.  Huge place.  A pool for the kiddos with a giant waterslide and two big comp pools.

It was nice to see some purple on the graph finally but it was a huge struggle.  I'm amazed at how quickly I had lost my form.  So no swimming for almost a month, a strange facility, and 25 meter pool as opposed to the 25 yard pool I'm used to makes for a tough return.  After a few hundred meters of drills it all started to come back but I have definitely lost some endurance so I'm glad to be back at it.

I hear ya on going a month or two without swimming.  I did that October November after the lakes froze up.  Swimming 15 miles this month is probably what smoked me.  Swimming is really odd in how it affects me.  It is not like I have any really sore muscles or aches, it is just like all of the sudden I realize that my endurance is just plain gone. So watch your endurance for the next month while you readjust to the workload 8). 

Glad you are getting to the pool though swimming is so much fun if you don't let it become work.

"Then for the run, if you can do a 3-miler at 8:35, challenge yourself to run half mile intervals at 7:30, for example (or faster, not sure what your peak speed would be)."

I've done 7:00 and 7:30s on the TM for 1/2 mi sprints. The 7:00s about kill me! It would take some real discipline out on the road to keep up that speed for 1/2mi. Those sprints take the fun out of running but having done them I can really feel the benefit.

Trinity...I sent those articles to you...let me know if you were unable to open the attachment and I'll just put it into the body of the email........Tom

Thanks for the input and I love to swim and think it is fun also.  It is so 'zen' for me to glide across the water (what?!? that is how I picture it in my mind anyway).  I noticed my legs didn't recover as fast when I wasn't swimming so I'm glad to be back at it.

Even though the other facility is ok I still look forward to the one by my house reopening on the 9th.  From what I understand their 'state of the art' heat reclamation system was doing great recirculating the heat to reduce heating costs but was not bringing in enough fresh air.  This was causing high levels of chloramine to build up in the building.  From what I gather the chloramine is not dangerous but can be an irritant.

7:00 min/mi intervals for 1/2 mile... awesome! Gotta love it.

I like the reference to "discipline", especially as it relates to those treadmill intervals. I think that's what they teach you; the discipline of hanging in there when your body isn't so sure it can continue. Plus there is instant feedback, in that if you slow down too much you fly off the back of the treadmill

So I've been gleaning some pointers from some friends at work on swimming...One said that he drinks water (not pool water) while he swims and feels that he is stronger and can last longer vs when he doesn't drink. I tried it on Friday and I have to agree with him. Hydration is important in all sports, even swimming...duh!!! From now on I'll take my water bottle with a little HEED in it. Also, another friend told me he counts his 100yd sets by moving his water bottle to the next 2inch tile that run along the edge of the pool. Wow!! What a simple thing yet it made a huge difference in how I enjoyed my workout. I found by not having to mentally keep track of my laps/sets I was able to fully concentrate on other things like form, breathing, and relaxing in the water. I purposefully didn't look at the clock or count the tiles until I was well into my swim. When I did count I couldn't believe I was at 17 tiles or 1700yds. I didn't swim any faster but the entire workout was so much more enjoyable and, like I said, I was able to concentrate on other things (I was even able to daydream a bit!).

Also, I had a great run today. I ran 9mi and averaged about 9:10 per mile. I'm sure that's the fastest I've ever run that many miles. Now if I can just do 13.1 at a 9min pace I'd be getting somewhere. I guess that will be my new goal! This 54 year old body is feeling younger all the time!

Hard to believe that we are into March already... 2 1/2 months since my first post! Time flies when you're having fun. Or when you're getting old. Or both.

trinity: glad you are able to at least get some swimming in. Hopefully the pool opens up on the 9th as scheduled. You have a nice consistent bike/run pattern, and the distances will no doubt have you ready for that first tri next month. If you have any questions or concerns on the logistics of race day, transitions, etc.; fire away and we can get some input on that as well.

baowolf: the workout machine. 3000 yd swims, 13 mile runs, 65 mile bike... I think you're ready to join me next week for the Half IM I'm doing! Good luck on your 10 miler this coming weekend, btw.

triscruggs: entertaining training log this week   35mph crosswinds blowing you off the road, doggy training class, and the good old "getting smoked in the pool" entry... which happens to me all the time, btw. If you ever have any doubts about how important technique is in swimming, it gets dispelled quickly when someone 10-20 years older and in much worse-looking shape jumps into the next lane and starts kicking your butt! Bummer about the work schedule still, too bad we can't all be independently wealthy; that would be nice, wouldn't it?

mtnbkr: Congratulations on that breakthrough run!!! Those are great, you finally get the payoff for all your hard work, and now when that voice in your head says you can't keep up that pace, you have proof that the voice is wrong Some good swims, and a couple good, intense bike rides as well. Getting excited for that first tri on April 4th? I did look at the 20 week HIM plan, and I'm trying to match that against your logs. I think last week would have been week 4 of the plan, or am I off?

pac10er2: Looks like you got back into things ok. How's your lower back doing now? Swim and bike times look good. When is your next attempt at a distance bike ride (or maybe you did one this weekend...)? Tackling a half IM and first full in your 2nd year of tri is a big deal, so make sure you are congratulating yourself just for doing it. Achieving time goals is always nice, but in your case don't let it drown out the significance of what you are accomplishing!

shawna: great to hear from you as always, keep chiming in when you can and let us know how things are going.

me: Back on track this week after marathon recovery. Got my 3 swims in (lots of sprint work this week in masters swim class); 140 miles of biking with a long of 60 (much better ride this week); and 30 miles of running, assuming I get out there later and do the 12 that I have planned. Next week is last full week before I head out to FL for the coach clinic, so hoping to make this a good one.

One last thing I thought I'd just mention... I'm doing a blog about my training/racing this year. The primary purpose is to raise awareness for a charity that I support, and also I thought it would be interesting to just track my thoughts throughout the year. I had done a very short blog for the IM I did in 2007, and enjoy going back to that once in a while to remember what it was like that week. So, here's a link to the blog if anybody wants to check it out; with the caveat that the charity is faith-based, so you may not want to check it out if that bothers you for any reason.

Hope everyone had a great week and nice weekend, talk to you soon!

Thanks for that link JD...very informative. I will be riding the course a few times before the 70.3. Those guys were right on about the wind...a "no wind" day in June, esp on that ride course, is EXTREMELY UNUSUAL. It will very likely be more windy and warmer...could very well be very hot. They are also right on about the climbs...nothing real challenging but keeps it interesting.

Good luck at the coach training and the HIM...you do have one coming up don't you? Thanks again for all your help........Tom

The 2pm start thing is very odd considering the conditions.  Even in Vegas when they started at 6:20 am it didn't really start to get hot until I was done with the bike.  The Boise Tri won't even start until the hottest part of the day with the strongest winds for the bike.  Seems like poor planning to put folks into the heat for longer than they need to be.  It will trap folks into staying in town for an extra day for the hotels and restaurants though so I guess that is what's important 8).  Oh well there won't be any avoiding the heat for the IM so might as well play in it for the HIM. 

I was talking to my wife about the anticipated heat for my IM and I was like, um I am gona be out there from sun up to sun down and then some, I am not going to avoid the heat...

Although that 25 mph wind I rode into on Saturday gave me some concern.  Riding into that for 50 miles would bring me to tears and take 9 hours.  After 25 miles of it I was overjoyed to be turning downwind from my out and back.  

pac10er2: Looks like you got back into things ok. How's your lower back doing now? Swim and bike times look good. When is your next attempt at a distance bike ride (or maybe you did one this weekend...)? Tackling a half IM and first full in your 2nd year of tri is a big deal, so make sure you are congratulating yourself just for doing it. Achieving time goals is always nice, but in your case don't let it drown out the significance of what you are accomplishing!

Thanks for thinking of me.  I did a 3 hour ride this weekend, if felt better than last week.  I tackled a tough hill, and did the hill part first this time, not second.  The ride home was great and I don't think I went below 20mph the whole way home, as it was literally up the whole way out, so down the whole way back.  My HIM is a pretty hilly course, about 2,000 feet of climbing over the bike portion, so I feel better now that I got a good climb in.

In regards to my year, I have dialed back my expectations on time as I have realized that it just doesn't matter for the first one.  I am feeling some pressure though, as 19 people from my company are coming out to compete in this event, and all of our corporate brass are involved.  For some context to this - we are an insurance company, we insure USA Triathlon and are lead sponsors at most, if not all, of their events.  Our CEO is a sub-10 hour IM and 4 out of 5 of our EVPs have done IM.  Also, we aren't a small company, we were just purchased for $4.7 Billion, so this is not a small operation.  The company focus on fitness goes so far that if you work out at lunch, they give you an extra 15 minutes for lunch.  They pay for you to enter tris and have a corporate tri team. 

Suffice to say, I am not the first one at the company to do this.  I want to do well, but in the end just completing them will make me happy.

Anyway, I am interested to see the progress everyone is making on this site, sometimes I just read the posts wihtout replying.  It is good to see so many people following the same path.

Thanks

Checking in....hope everyone had a great weekend!

Good training weekend for me.  Hit my longest run of the year Saturday.  Hit my longest ride ever for time and distance on Sunday.  This is a scheduled R&R week so will probably back off a touch and then hit it hard again next week.

I am debating about doing a build phase.  Would it be beneficial for me being so new to the sport or would I be better off just continuing to build base this year?  Does anyone else do periodization or do you pretty much train the same year-round?

Pac10er2 - nice job on the bike ride, and glad you're feeling better. That is one heck of a fit company you work for! A sub-10 IM is truly impressive. It's great that they have that fitness emphasis, but I'd hate to be trying to measure up to people that could go that fast...

I think you have the right approach, though. Keep doing the training, and trust the training. Go the speeds you know you can do, especially on the bike (hard to keep within yourself when you see people zipping by). It really does take years to build up the kind of base required to think about *racing* an IM; so just keep the word "steady" in your mind the whole time. IM really is a tortoise and hare type of event for us normal people.

Nice bike/run combo over the weekend! Now you can enjoy that R&R week knowing you earned it

I think the base/build periodization is probably a little different based on the race/training distances you're shooting for; and what your base fitness is going into the season. For example, if someone is training for IM (and especially if they're new to that distance); I would highly recommend that they have a phase where they just get in the mileage and build up base for distance rides before ever thinking about speed. Then the build phase allows them to drop back a little bit and start focusing on a little more intensity while building the distances back up. For an experienced triathlete doing short-course races, they may not have big swings in mileage or distance, but still might want to start the season without too much emphasis on intensity (to avoid burnout).

For you specifically, being new to the sport and racing mainly sprint races; I'd personally say just keep training with a nice mix of s/b/r; take your R&R week every 4th week or so; and have fun with it. If you have a key race where you really want to do well, you could spend some time focusing on intensity for a few weeks prior to taper; but I just don't think that is a big priority. This year should be about building your base level of fitness and knowledge in each area, learning about what the races are like, and having fun. You'll learn so much this year, and then you can sit back at the end of the year and evaluate your goals for the next season.