Betsy's Tri-BAMFs (Page 15)

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Ok by me...if you want some GREAT support and knowledgable folks to answer questions then you've come to the right group.

Carrie, can you walk the run portion? Just my opinion but I would follow Dr.'s orders until he clears you.

Yea, where is Eric? Miss hearing from you and laughing at your blogs. Check in and update us.

Swam this morning and did so, so. My focus right now is to get through the mini-tri on May 12th. I timed my 300 meter swim and I can do it in 9 minutes...this is good for me and for someone who is struggling with the swim. I just don't know how I'm going to get through 850 meters for the Danskin? My goal with the mini-tri is to get the feel for all 3 events and for the transitions. I'm going to try not to worry about my time although this is a USAT sponsored event. I'm going in with my age group wave so I won't feel so intimidated in the open wave. I plan on completing bricks over the next week....keep the encouragement coming!

Hola everyone!

Rob--welcome!!!

OK EVERYONE! I'M FINISHED!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!! I finally got my thesis done and finals are over and all my stuff is turned it. I've got a week off and then summer classes start for one week here and then we go to Europe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG i'm so excited.

Also, I'm sorry group for not making my goals. I just had too much going on, as always it seems and didn't get my act together. My goals for May-July are going to have to be a bit different. I'm running a marathon in Jan (Disney) and since I'm doing this study abroad thing, I won't be able to swim/bike much over there so I'm going to LEARN HOW TO BE A RUNNER! We all know this has been my biggest challenge so I've got some training plans for marathons and plenty of time and hopefully I'll be able to get my running capabilities up to par with my swimming and biking so that I can train all three evenly after that. My longest run so far is 5 miles and I usually average about 10 min miles these days....lets see what it is in Aug! I'm so excited.

Thanks for the thoughts and good- mojo these past weeks, I needed it!

You guys are all awesome--Keep up the good work!

-Jessie

Hey guys!!

Yeah, I'm definitely slacking all through next Wednesday... it's finals time (had my first one today!) so I'm more focused on school than workouts. I'll try to get a swim in between study sessions.


Carrie: FRENCH BRAID!!! I've done ponytails, buns, etc, but french braid works best: you can tuck up the tail under your swim cap, put your helmet down right on top (don't have to fight with the hair-tie bump, and then it's still out of your face for the run. I prefer french-braided pig tails.. easier for me to run with.

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Carrie, how did your race go this weekend? Dieing to know how you did. Ok Eric, you're supposed to swim like a fish not drink like one!!! Welcome back.

I had and AWESOME weekend of training. My husband took the boys to the ranch so I had the ENTIRE weekend to myself...something that never happens. Anyway, I had two options, sit around and watch chick flicks (something I never get a chance to do in a house full of men/boys) or train. I'm proud to say I chose option number 2. My first mini-tri is this coming weekend so I decided to do a mini-tri at home (my training log has more details). I drove to the Y and swam 900 meters. I timed 300 meter increments which is what I need to swim on Saturday. BTW, this is my first open water swim ever so I'm definitely nervous. After the swim I drove home and jumped on my bike for a strong 12 mile ride and then hit the trail for a 2 mile run/walk. I worked on my transitions between each event...I actually laid all my gear out and practiced putting everything on and taking everything off. My dog thought I was crazy, she kept cocking her head in confusion. Anyway, I feel much better that I can get through this mini-tri. The distances are short but it's going to be a good practice for the Danskin.

I need some accountability this week...gotta swim more and try to improve my times and I need to stay positive. I realized on my run, after 12 miles on the bike, that I have to keep telling myself I can do it. Music really helps keep me going so I might try using it on the run portion. Does anyone know if headphones are allowed for a USAT event?

Another question, I have the option to record my time under USAT. Should I do it for this event? Gotta run and actually get some work done this week. Blessings to all.

Hey betsy Thanks for the welcome! You BAMFs have a great group vibe and I'm excited to join up. So a little bit about me,

WHY I TRI: I've started tri'ing to keep myself in shape. I'm the kind of guy that gets bored easily, so I usually train for 4-6 months when I'm getting soft then stop and spend my time on something else until I need to repeat. My periodic workouts wouldn't be so bad if I didn't eat fast food *every* meal of the day, every day of the year. My hope is that I'll be picked up and carried away by the tri-lifestyle, allowing me to be healthy, happy, and wise...though not wealthy, I'm finding.

STORY: I live in Dallas right now and am starting a phd in neuroscience this summer down in houston. My favorite hobby is reading, particularly fantasy and sci-fi but I enjoy anything that's well written. I don't like watching TV much, but I do watch NFL/MLB/NBA, Discovery, TV on DVD marathons, and anime. I can't stand the news, talk shows, and the animal planet channel. I went to Star Wars episode 2 dressed as Obi-Wan, but only because my girlfriend was going as padme. Live action role playing is creepy, adding swords does not redeem it.

ATHLETIC BACKGROUND:
Swimming: I swam competitively from ages 8-16 then got burnt out and quit. Middle distance swimming was my forte, at 15 I could swim 500yds averaging less than :58 per 100. I'm slower than that now

Cycling: No experience, I bought a road bike and am having fun with the cycling so far!

Running: My cousin and I used to race when we were kids. He turned into a top D1 runner and I turned into a fish. My family history indicates that I should be able to run, but trying generally cause me lots of pain. One caveat is that I have NO problem doing sprints. I can run for hours playing basketball or soccer, but only because I'm really going fast. When I try to jog, I just mess my shins up. Definitely open to suggestions. I'm trying to chi-run right now.

FAMILY STATUS: Solo, no pets.

LAST YEAR'S RACES: Just started in april Need to decide when I'm going to race...

2007 RACES: October maybe??? Depends how the running comes along...


Nice to meet you

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No headphones in USAT races.

Hey Rob Sorry I missed your post earlier.

The inches sign is actually a notation for seconds, so you'll take 15 seconds rest.

I've never actually done this, but the idea is to get you to go as fast as you can with the fewest strokes possible. It's an efficieny drill.

So you'll note the time and start 50 yards, while swimming you'll count the number of strokes you take, when you finish you'll see how long it took you to finish in seconds, add the number of strokes to that, and you'll get your score. The lower the better, hope that makes sense.

Have fun!

Question, should I train the day before a race?

Hey y'all - it is so awesome to say that I am not a Triathlete! YEAH!! Sorry I haven't been online much, but I finally went to the doc and have been going through physical therapy three days a week (which is difficult since I am on the road). I had my MRI yesterday and found out I fractured my knee cap when I had my mountain bike wreck. More PT (still have to deal with my hematoma). And no running.

But about my tri - It was so much fun!! I did well in the swim and bike, but walked the run. I am ok with it, though. I finished it! Matt finished second overall! I finished 120/165.

Welcome to our two new members! I promise I will be a better group member!

Carrie

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Thinking of more questions.....

What should I eat the day before and the morning of my race?
How much water should I pack?
I have Cliff organic energy chews...when is the best time to use them?

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Hurray, Carrie! You are sooo a triathlete! Esp considering the conditions that you've been training under. Sorry to hear about the finishing migraine. It will be better nex time.

Betsy, thanks for being our support and mentor while you're in recovery. Hope you're in tiptop shape soon.

Well, it appears that life has taken over my training. I love triathlon training but man, it's hard to squeeze the workouts into a busy life, as I know you ALL can relate to. My apologies to the team, but I probably won't be logging/visiting very often from now on. I'll check in as much as I can.

After staying healthy most of the winter and spring, I got slammed with an ear infection. It doesn't really hurt much but I can't swim Taking meds now so I should be back in the pool soon!

Keep on keepin' on, everyone!
Rene

Well, my first triathlon was not without frustration. All in all it was a great event and I learned a lot just by observing others and understanding how a tri race works. There were 61 women in my 35-40 age wave, 900 participants overall. I ranked 41st in the swim coming in at 8.31 minutes (300 meters). I was proud of my performance considering the swim is my weakest of the 3. This was also my first time swimming in open water.

The bike was another story. I had everything checked out on my bike the day before and my tires were properly inflated...I felt strong for the bike. As I topped the first major hill and began to descend, I tried to shift to a higher gear so when I leveled out I would be ready to spin. When I did, my chain slipped, knocked my de-railer loose and I broke a spoke on my rear tire. As soon as that happened my back wheel froze and I came to a complete stop...thank goodness I didn't flip over my handle bars. Long story short, the rescue vehicle was there before I could get off my bike but the damage was done and I was out of the bike race. The good news is, I got to complete the run and I came in 36th out of 61 in the run portion of my age group.

Needless to say, I was more than a little upset, but I'm confident that all my bad luck is behind me now. It wasn't a complete loss, I did this mini-tri for the experience and really enjoyed the event. It was a very friendly, organized race with great sportsmanship all around me and cheering crowds. The weather was perfect and there was plenty of sun, fun, food and beer after the race. I had a good time.

My focus is now on the Danskin and stepping it up a notch on the swim portion. I need to be completely confident in my stroke so I can get thru a 1/2 mile. 300 meters is nothing compared to 850 meters....I need to be stronger.

Betsy, just know I admire you and appreciate all your support to this group. Illness is tough when you're training. I would encourage you to find an herbalist that can get you started on some natural, holistic nutrition. I'm a BIG proponent of using what God gave us to heal ourselves and that's the first thing I turn to when I'm feeling down.

Thanks for sharing your race story, Stacey. The best part is that except for an equipment malfunction, YOU did great! I think it's a great idea to have a "test-TRI" to get all the bugs out so you can be awesome in your first big one.

You can do the swim. Try to do a longer swim each week and you will get there. When I entered the water, a guy told his friend "slow and steady!" so I kept that in my head through the whole race. It really works when we can relax and set small goals (like race buoys!) throughout the race.

Again, good for you!!!

Rene

P.S. As for me...still out of commission with an ear infection but will get back into running tonight.

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Hey Y'all -

I'll be out of pocket awhile. There is an island in the carribbean with my name on it...

Keep training!!

Carrie

I can't run!

Biking and swimming are the same kind of medium resistance but low impact workouts, and given time I know how to improve in both of them. Running...I just mess my shins up anytime I even try.

Sucks. Any ideas?

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