Scott's Mentor Group-Closed for training. (Page 15)

Good morning, all.

Groin watch- day 3. Still sore but feeling much better than yesterday. I did some cold compresses during the day. I should be good to go by Saturday. I will swim tomorrow night as is my routine. I will spin tomorrow on the bike and give this groin on more day to rest.

I know I won't physically gain an advantage between now and Saturday by training but that mental edge keeps me going. Plus, now I am addicted to the training and want it. Let me clarify some things I said earlier in the week. I am very family oriented and never regret missing a workout to hang out with my family. It was a little tongue in cheek saying I chose family over training.

The cut-off for race registration is tonight at midnight. I believe I am going to do it. Troy, take care of that ankle.

Train smart today, everyone!

So being a large individual, riding on a bike, through farm country, on a windy day equals double the work out! I got in a 25 mile ride yesterday and it felt like I was pushing through gail force winds for most of it! My average speed was down almost 2 miles per hour but that was a combo of the wind and slowing down so as not to get to far in front of the friends I was with. I still enjoyed the ride and got a good burn from it. The way I'm looking at it is it's just getting me prepared should it be windy on race day. I was also very happy to get the ride in at lunch time as the skies opened up in the afternoon and everything else would've been a wash out.

So here's the question for all of you? Which weather conditions are your least favorite? For me it's definitely windy days. I can take cold (just more layers), I can do wet (just wear the old shoes), and you can even combine them and I'm okay. But the wind drives me nuts. Especially when it's cold, rainy and windy. But to go with what Ashley mentioned, I too am addicted to the training, so I go out in all kinds of ridiculous weather. I had a bad cold this winter and missed training for 4 days and was literally shaking I was so upset and nervous about back stepping.

-Matt

Great question.

I run outside all year long and don't mind going out in the coldest weather. Wind sucks, but I see it as an opportunity to practice my HTFU and just power through. Rain doesn't bother me at all.

But heat and high humidity. I hate it when that shows up on race day, as it's not something I can just power through. You just have to back off the pace and accept you're not going for a PR on that day. 

Okay, Troy. i'll bite. HTFU? What is it?

I don't mind cold or rain. I hate wind! Here in KY, it is very regular. Pedaling into it is miserable. There are many days it almost brings me to a complete stop. 40 mph gusts here are the norm. There are many beautiful days here ruined by high gusts.

Troy inspired me to get out in the cold this past winter and I adopted his philosophy of shorts over 32 degrees. I really enjoyed my cold runs.

Harden the F*** Up.

The wind gives me a chance to suck it up and get it done ... just like I'll often need to do in a race when the conditions, or my own bonk, call for it. But when it comes to heat and humidity, you need to race smart and dial it back.

Yesterday I traded the pool session for a mountain bike ride.  A friend invited me late in the afternoon and decided the glorious views from the mountain to the ocean seemed more inviting than staring at the bottom of the pool.  I also had a PR for the route.  For the first time in a while I seemed to have some extra horsepower and the cardio was fitness there.  Very exciting considering all the recent set backs.  Total climb 1798 ft.

As for the weather conditions I'm confused.  You mean it's not always sunny and mid 70s where you all live?  But seriously, for me it's rain.  We get so little of it, when we do get it it's a mess.  Our roads and trails just aren't built to handle it.

I'm going to the pool today for sure.

Craig.

I agree on heat and humidity. I've been out for long runs in -20 and freezing rain but a little bit of heat ruined my HM last summer. I finished but ended up in the med tent. One of my goals for the summer is to acclimate to running in heat and humidity. I'm hoping I can do that without slowing down my overall pace.

Who was it who wanted a nutrition discussion? I'm starving. Not like-oh yay I'm losing weight hungry-but lightheaded, can't think straight hungry. I think it's because I upped my intensity on my training and cut too many calories. So to start the discussion here is what I've been doing and what I'm thinking of doing.

1. I calculated my BMR using my height, weight and age-don't know the formula but I plugged it in here (Scott helped me the first time). www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator (Ihate doing posts with links from my work computer because it doesn;t let me copy/paste. I apologize if the link is wrong).

2. Using the Harris Benedict Equation I multiplied first by 1.55 (moderately active) and then 1.725 (very active) and subtracted 500 calories because I want to lose weight. I had planned to start using the higher number a while back because I was running into the same situation with hunger but then I got sick and dropped my intake back down because I was inactive. I increased again the week before my race then decreased on my less-active recovery week. I think somewhere in there I got it in my head that I should try to keep my daily caloric intake to between those 2 numbers (rounded down, of course). I usually try very hard to stay in the bottom part of that range. I actually felt fine doing this at first but as I increase the intensity of my training it seems to take a few days to catch up and then I'm feeling bad. At first, I was just a little tired but by last night's run it was affecting my energy to work out. I felt terrible but pushed myself really hard and still was a bit on the slow side.

The other part of this is that I have been weighing in weekly for the past few weeks hoping to get immediate feedback on whether or not I'm eating the right amount of calories. Previously I weighed in monthly and always saw a loss. that was nice. For the first month it went 1lb, 0lbs., 4lbs., 1lb. I don't know if it's normal (for a woman especially) to fluctuate like that? For the past 3 weeks I have also been checking body fat % using calipers and have seen a 3% loss each time. I try to keep in mind that my scale is ancient and inaccurate. I plan to relace it this weekend but I have to rezero it step on it about 10 times and take the most frequent measurement. Also, I know that caliper measurements aren't 100% accurate but they are better than BIA and more affordable then more accurate methods. I use these numbers to calculate my lean body mass and try to use that to calculate a goal weight. I rework the calculations every week just to see where I'm at and because this week I lost 3% but only 1 lb. it seemed to change my goal. Again, I try to keep accuracy in mind here.

The reason I mention all this is because I was doing some research and found another equation the Katch-McArdle formula that uses your lean body mass to calculate BMR. It's supposed to be more accurate then just using height, weight and age especially if you are very muscular. You can then use the Harris Benedict Equation as a multiplier just like before. When I used this equation my daily intake should be about 250 calories above the high end I've been aiming for. *sigh*

It's just so confusing.

The really frustrating thing is that a lot of sources say eating too little can kill you weightloss by screwing up your metabolism. A few dispute that. It seems nothing is concrete in the world of nutrition.

As far as my plans go-I'm taking tonight off. My energy sucks today and I think a night of rest will make a difference. I'm moving my workouts around but we'll see what happens. I have Friday off so I should be able to catch up. I'm going to eat at least as much as that high number on my original plan. I may add if I still don't feel right.

The thing is- it gets ahead of me. This is the second time this has happened and may have contributed to getting bronchitis if my immunity was down because of it. I'm feeling fine and I increase my activity and then after a few days or a week it hits. I guess I just need to get used to thinking ahead.

It's taken me all morning to write this so I hope it's at least a little bit interesting. I really would like to hear everyone's thoughts...

Regarding nutrition:

For me, the whole Tri thing is about weight  control- so I will try to follow some of those links.  It is a bit overwhelming! Even recording what you eat - which is supposed to be a good thing to do - I really have never been able to do for long.  I tried on this site last night from my phone and gave up after Breakfast.

 I am a semi-vegetarian. I try to avoid all meat, and choose fish over chicken.  About 5 years ago I dropped a bunch of weight by cutting out meat and cheese- but I found that I need the Calcium in cheese or I get leg cramps.   From all I've read - the biggest thing is to just eat good food.  For instance - I never drink soda, and try to avoid anything fried or deep fried.  Protein seems to be critical too. 

Dehydration is something I fight too.  It can really mess you up - and certainly when it gets HHH (hazy hot and humid) we need to be most careful.

Not sure how folks populate race reports - but here's mine from last weekend:

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=438900

From what I've read, and seen myself (and this is from not only female friends who have lost weight but on myself as well, even though I'm male) this is very normal. I've had times where I've completely KILLED it training all week and haven't dropped a single pound and other weeks where I've felt I was lazy and didn't do enough but dropped 3-5. You're body reaches plateaus and it takes a little bit to push through them. Every one (person as well as plateau) are different. Sometimes this can take multiple weeks (been there, done that) and it can be very frustrating. Just hang in there and stick to what you are doing and the results will come.

Just a thought, but as far as the energy this may not be tied to the total calories. You may need to switch up some foods and when you eat them to get the boost you need for your training. I'm not sure what or when you are eating but you may want to think about getting something in you about an hour prior to training so it's hitting your system when you need it (fruits maybe good for this to give you that natural sugar boost to get you going). Of course, you have to take into consideration your own body/stomach and how this will play into what you are doing on that day. You don't want to take in something that's gonna sit like a rock in your tummy and make you feel lathargic.

As far as the BMR I just did mine and according to the ranking I can lay in bed tomorrow and eat quite possibly half a cow (aka 2203 calories)??? Then when you factor in my training I can take in over 3500 calories. This seems CRAZY to me? On a typical day I will take in less than 2000 calories, unless I'm being bad and even then I never come anywhere close to these numbers? I'm sure my size is throwing off these numbers and if I had a lower BMI it would make more sense, but this is crazy for a fat guy to wrap his head around?

-Matt

I don't know what your body type is but my understanding of it is that calculating your BMR without factoring in your lean body mass the will cause the calories to be too high for someone with a higher %bodyfat and too low for someone who is very muscular. I have moved foods around but the way I'm feeling I'm pretty sure it's a matter of going too low. It just seems a bit crazy because I eat so much.

I also really do try to eat quality foods. No lean cuisine or diet anything, I just count the calories in the foods I eat as opposed to buying diet versions. One thing I see here on the boards a lot is some people can give you the breakdown on the % of their daily intake that comes from protein, carbs, fiber, etc. I'm not that sophiticated. I try to make sure I get a good mix but that's the extent of it. Does anyone here do that?

Also, I just want to clarify that I'm not looking for an excuse to eat cake every day or other junk food. I'm perfectly ok with what I eat. Yeah, I have an occassional craving but it passes. I don't indulge for the most part. I say for the most part becasue after my HM I was invited to my Niece's birthday party and had cake and ice cream. It was a cheat I planned at least a month in advance and figured I had earned. I may also loosen up a bit on vacation this summer but mostly I LOVE the foods I eat. I have Wolfgang Puck's Tomato Basil soup EVERY day at work. EVERY DAY-and come lunch time it still the best stuff I ever tasted.

Honestly, I think sometimes I try so hard not to be a cheater that I'm happy to be a little hungry so I ignore it and maybe that's how I get in trouble. It's part of why I came here with this and last time it happened I talked it over with Scott. I need to make sure if I'm increassing my caloric intake that it's the right thing to do and not some kind of nutrition denial. My goal is to get to at least 15% body fat. I'm currently 26%. I'm not looking to sabotage that.

For the record-I am in no way affiliated with Wolfgang Puck but his tomato Basil soup is effin awesome.

Amazing conversation about diet.  

I believe that it is really difficult to do a calorie deficit when you are in mid season.  The winter is the time to lose weight, you may be able to shed a few lbs during the racing season, but the bulk of weight loss should probable come off-season.  This is just my opinion of course.  Now this doesn't mean that we can go wild with the calories during the racing season, but we do need to fuel our bodies for the endurance training that we do.  

Nicole,  I would increase the calories by a hundred or so, and see if that changes things.  If you feel no different and start to put on weight, then back off a bit.  I also agree that the timing of eating can be super important.  So making sure that you have enough calories for your workouts.  

All this diet stuff is too complicated for me. I LOVE to eat. I eat what I want, when I want. I have started going more towards natural foods and reducing processed food. That has not been hard for me but I still love a frozen pizza or box of hamburger helper! My nightly ritual before bed is 16 oz of milk and two chocolate chip cookies!! I could never give up bacon cheeseburgers, fries, and a BIG beer!

I'm 5'8 150 lbs and I love to eat!!! I might lose a few more lbs if I cut out meat and cheese but I can't! Cheese goes on everything! I would pile it on before I started training. Now, I measure a serving and know how much I am eating. I started eating meat substitutes and love them.

My wife said I can't get any skinnier. She told me she doesn't want to be married to a pencil!

It's decision time. Race registration ends tonight at midnight. Groin is sore but race is still 3 days away. Let it rest until then just skip it all together....tick tick tick.

Scott-I understand what you mean about it being hard to lose mid season. I'm finding it very hard to anticipate the changes I need to make in order to keep up with increased training intensity. It's also very frustrating to find so much conflicting information out there. When I first read your post I was thinking no way I'm going to get halfway there and then wait until next winter to shed the rest of what I want to lose but now that I'm thinking about it I can change my focus a bit.

That's not to say that I want to stabilize where I'm at for the summer but I've been focusing so much on the weightloss for the past few months maybe I do need to shift my focus to training and making sure I'm fueling that. If I'm not overeating the weightloss should come with that anyway. I may need to get over the anxiety of stepping on the scale once a week. I hate that part because I dread that plateau. Especially if I had a slow or 0 loss the week before. The thing is, I might not be where I want to be but I think I've reached healthy.

I am going to increase my intake but also try to keep it at a more steady level instead of jumping up and down by 200 calories. I think I try so hard to stay at that low point that I'm really walking a fine line with it and it doesn't take much to start feeling really run down.

What gets me is that I have to constantly readjust. I really like to get into a habit and stick with it. I don't like to have to constantly think about what I'm going to eat and how many calories are in it. I don't mind logging what I eat but it's simpler for me to have a list of go to foods to make my day up with. When I have to add or take away it just confuses me.

I know we have probably talked ad naseum about my diet but diet does seem to be a topic of interest here and on BT in general. It's also a complicated subject. Thanks, everyone, for listening and to Scott for listening every time I show up for my accupuncture appointment.

Ashley-I'm sorry I'm monopolizing the discussion today. I don't want your question to get lost between my diet rants! Ugh! I'm not good under pressure. Can you afford to lose the registration fee if you're not ready in a few days? Is there another similar race in a week or two? If the first answer is yes and the second is no I'd register. If the second answer is yes then maybe that would be better. I can't tell you what to but that's my opinion. Good luck, either way!!

No need to apologize, Nicole. This is a discussion board for everything.

I might scrap this race and get better. There are plenty of races. No need to hurry it. I have 5 hours to decide.

Ashley, 

You are my Yoda!  I've been waiting for someone to say this.  If I wrote this myself it'd say the same thing (except I'm 170 lbs.)

I eat, therefore I tri!

Craig.

Good morning, all.

I decided last night to scrap my race Saturday. I still have some soreness in my groin and I don't want to go and make it worse. It feels much better than yesterday but it is not 100%. I am disappointed but it is probably smarter than rushing it. There is always another race another weekend. It's not like I'm pulling out of Kona. My first open water swim will have to wait.

I am going to hit the pool today for a swim and take it easy on the leg. I'm still going to try and get my 2000 yds in.

Train smart everyone!

I wish you'd have said walk smart. 

After a great run on the ankle today, I slipped on a set of wet stairs leading into my office ... the bad ankle taking another twist. Thankfully, we had an instant cold pack and an ace bandage in the first aid kit ... and I have ibuprofen in my work bag. But man ... I think I just set myself back another 3 or 4 days.

Looks like this is going to be a steep taper that relies on the pool and bike to keep me active prior to the race.