Dream Chaser's 'Set a Goal and Capture it!' Mentor Group - CLOSED (Page 15)

^^^^^^^ Let us know when you get back home Marcia.  Enjoy your vacation.  Know that we'll be waiting for you.  And so will your bike!!

Reminder   Please, everyone active in this thread, let's do this!  It is for your benefit.  I am, however, exempting kairous1
Jeff from this assignment cause he has a newborn baby!!  When I had newborns, my training involved running for diapers, bottles, and napping when the little one napped

FOR ME, my goal set in January was A.) To lose weight.  Jan 1st I weighed 182.6 pounds.  This morning I weighed 172.8 pounds.  So in two months I lost around 10 lbs.  I fell off the wagon lots, but each time I got back on.  The biggest helpers for me in losing weight were 1.) NO EATING AFTER 7PM   2.)  Cutting out lots of processed food  3.) Including my H2O intake  4.) Limiting my desserts.  

My other goal was to race less, and I am still sticking to that.  I passed up signing up for a few races and I am focused on my A Races - Quassy & Lake Placid. 

It's funny how January 1st seems like yesterday -- yet it is actually 2 months past.  By consistently keeping my goals in the forefront of my brain and visualizing them, slowly but surely the conditions in my life align for me to accomplish them.

HOW ABOUT EVERYONE ELSE??? 

kimmax - 2011-02-27 2:42 AM

Dream Chaser - 2011-02-26 10:58 AM

^^^^^^^ Let us know when you get back home Marcia.  Enjoy your vacation.  Know that we'll be waiting for you.  And so will your bike!!

Well... I've just discovered Prague and I may NEVER come back now!!!  
Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Prague... reminds me of this classic video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryT9OX8ZHi0

Glad you are having fun! 

I have successfully been following my training plan with some variation in the workouts and times.  Because I don't have time on some days to do the double workouts I usually run 30 minutes on my day off.  I look at it as a recovery run.   I have been consistent in my workouts.

On a positive note, I have been able to run as my foot is feeling better.  It isn’t 100%, but I am able to run up to ~7 miles on it.  I haven’t tried to go longer yet.  There have been a couple of races I wanted to do this year that I passed on including a ½ mary this weekend but I am going to continue to hold off racing on it.  There is a sprint tri in April I am hoping to do.

My challenges thus far have been the:

1.       The healing/recovery of my plantar fascia

2.       Fatigue caused by the workout volume

3.       Keeping up with the home duties (bills, chores etc)

4.       Family time

Overall I am very happy how everything is going.  My body is adapting to the training, the family has been “working with me” and “understanding” of my schedule and I am optimistic going forward.

February seems to have gone by really fast!  Looking forward to seeing what March brings, including some warmer weather!

Thanks everyone for you support!  Good luck to EVERYONE going into March!!

jmhpsu93 - 2011-02-28 4:05 PM Copied directly from my "application" to the group:

GOALS:  Get swimming under 2:00 pace for Olympic distance, run sub-22 5K, Clydesdale podium a triathlon, run sub 1:48 HM...I think all of these goals are attainable and have similar paths, hence the multiple goals.  Oh, and I'd like to see 195# on the scale in October when I run the HM.

So, how did January and February help me achieve my goals?  I would say that for the first time since I played intramural sports almost everyday in college, that I am physically fit March 1st.  I've never been really out of shape or anything, but I think I could go out and finish an Olympic-distance triathlon right now.

January was basically treading water (almost literally with my swimming prowess ) and fighting through Round 2 of bronchitis.  February was easily the best non-summer training month of my life. 

For swimming:  got T-pace down to 2:06, did a 2600y session and 1500y non-stop for the first time
For biking:  going 90 minutes at 250 average watts (on a upright trainer), bought a real bike
For running:  working very hard on speeding up my LSD pace to the low 9s instead of high 9s/low 10s
For strength training:  "experienced" Bikram Yoga, consistently got some other ST sessions in

March should be great.  I approach a 10-hour tri-session week at the end of the month, plus I have a taper week full of fun fitness/threshold tests:  1000y TT for swimming, and 40k TT for biking, and a 5k road race (not all in the same day ).
And I'm on vacation that week, too.

And I've avoided the 10 lb. winter weight creep that always seems to hit me.  I haven't lost any weight (right at 204) but I haven't gained any through the "Eating Season".

Looking forward to it warming up outside for sure!

Nice Work, Mike!!  And yeah, not gaining weight during January and February is a huge accomplishment!!  I will give you that, for sure.   You are certainly on the right path.

Hey Jeff.  I never intended to leave you behind!   I just know the demands of a newborn. 

Dude, you are really on the right track with your thinking in many ways.  A.) Two Olympics this year will prepare you nicely for a HIM in 2012.  B.) Swimming is very technique-based.  For me, once I got some decent technique accomplished it came down to just logging lots of hours in the pool and developing my 'swim lungs' and 'swim specific muscles'.  Keep a close tab on your swim times for different distances (100's, 400's, etc...) and as you spend more consistent time in the pool, every few months your times should get progressively better if you're doing your technique drills correctly.  For me, I've found following Swim Plans works best as opposed to drawing it up and figuring it out myself.  C.) Joining a Tri Group is AN EXCELLENT IDEA!!!  You will find other guys and girls in the same boat as you!!  Other triathletes who have babies and young kids who are willing to meet up and train at crazy early hours; other triathletes who are swimming/biking or running just a level above from you and who can help pull you up to that level.  For you Jeff, with the newborn, I'm guessing a schedule like lunchtime swims and then an early weekend BRICK with a tri-team may work for you.  Consistency is key; however, if due to life demands you cannot be consistent with Running and Biking, than the Long Bike and Long Run are going to be the bread and butter of your training.  Give the wife 'her time' with here girlfriends and watch the kids, and then once a week (preferably early on a weekend) meet up with a tri team and get 'you time' with a Long Bike or Run.  Teaming up with other triathletes is the ONLY THING that has gotten me up out of bed 4:30AM on a Saturday or Sunday.  But when I make that commitment to meet other people, I do it.  I get up.  I train and have a BLAST! And by 10 AM I am home with the family and have logged some serious Tri time and feel satisfied the rest of the day.  You mentioned 'accountability' - hooking up with other tri-athletes for workouts will give you that accountability.  You will come to rely on them, as much as they will come to rely on you.  Despite what some people think, this is NOT and individual sport.  This Group itself is proof of that.   Enough rambling outta me.  

John, I can really identify with you and that internal battle (war even!) being waged inside you.  As long as you keep fighting, no question you will win.  You are determined and unquestionably headed in the right direction!!  The crossfit has motivated you and provided a nice base of fitness.  I think everyone in this group is pulling for you and we can't wait to see you achieve success this year!!! 

Somebody just signed up for 7, count 'em 7 races!!  You are a man after my own heart as I LOVE to race!! 

Two months in, and here is the Solid Nucleus of our group.  Any members not active who'd like to rejoin, just jump back in! 

I really thing we have a GOOD, STRONG, DETERMINED Group here.  TOGETHER we will Accomplish and Celebrate our Goals in 2011.  If you haven't added everyone to your friends list by now, sometime this month please do so.  Let's nudge each other and leave inspires.  Let's hold each other accountable. 

Dream Chaser / Bobby / Mentor  Location:  Long Island

jmhpsu93 / Mike     Location:  Baltimore

Kimmax / Marcia    Location: Toronto, Canada

Sulcus / Shawn      Location:  Douglastown, NY

RunRene / Rene     Location:  Washington State

Tntexpres / John  Location:  Amelia Island, FL

GRB1 / Greg       Location:  Prarie, WI

Sammeg/Ted     Location:  Miller Place, NY

Kairus1 / Jeff      Location:  LA

gatjr33 / George   Location:  NH

tdl1972 / David      Location:  Georgia

Vermont - New Hampshire.... same thing. 

Some thoughts Ted:  A.) OUTSTANDING Avatar.  Please don't ever change it.   B.) I'm sorry, but I find it tough to believe you dropped  7 pounds without making any changes.  Something tells me you cut down your caloric intake, upped your training and (perhaps) subconsciously are making healthier food decisions.  Give yourself some credit.  C.) You absolutely cannot project January and February numbers out 12 months because the Spring/Summer/early Fall Months are more often considerably higher volume months due to the amount of SBR we can do outside.  D.) Suffolk County is an excellent race to 'step up' to the half marathon distance.  It's mostly flat, and a straightforward out & back that allows you the ability to more easily pace.  E.)  Did I mention what a cool avatar you have?  FIRE!!!! 

Solid Month George!!  You are an Ironman Veteran and I'm so glad to have you in this group.    Kudos for getting to the pool in February. 

Just to help you clarify your goal (as I want you to accomplish a wicked PR at LP, and getting down to 200lbs even will very well help you accomplish that.  You need to lose 8 pounds per month.  YOU CAN DO IT GEORGE!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ2HcRl4wSk