ADollar79's Group--closed and in the base building phase! (Page 15)

I meant to tell you that I came across it the other day on you tube.  Awesome job!  Of course, you have my vote!!!

tri-dg - 2008-02-20 3:26 PM so today i have the sudden urge to do the 70.3 in austin on October 5th 2k8.... i would change my races schedule a little droping the bike source sprint, cats sprint, centur ride and kc half marathon.... total costs are sprint, olympic, long cource, long cource and Austin $450 vs 395 for sprint, sprint, olympic, long, long, sprint, century, half mary. also giving me 14 weeks btw olympic and 70.3 with 2 long courses in between. to bulk up my training... to go from the olympic to HIM training.... WHATS EVERYONE THINK

Do I think you can do it?  Sure.  Is it practical?  No.  Don't look at this sport from a cost perspective.  Look at it as a hobby.  Do you want to spend all summer (at least 16-20 weeks of steady uninterrupted training) training for ONE event?  Or would you rather spend the summer racing at different levels learning more about the sport. 

One of my downsides to racing an IM last year is that it dominated my calendar.  I was ALWAYS training.  I didn't get to race much.  Racing is the reward for all your training.  I missed it.  That is why I am racing a lot in the beginning of this season before kicking off IM training. 

From an athletic perspective, you risk doing harm to your body by ramping up so quick.  Most coaches recommend 2 years of practical training before an HIM and 3-5 before an IM.  The race isn't going anywhere anytime soon and will only get better with time.  Why rush it?  Would you rather race the HIM and be average or spend the time learning how to race an HIM and then do so very well?

***All this from my personal experience***

tri-dg - 2008-02-19 9:19 PM swimming - i have 3 friends that swam in college and sent them all emails ... one got back to me and said that she would swim with me to coach and teach... when i was little i always thought that swimming laps was for the unathletic kids that couldnt play sports with bats/balls "baseball" but i am comming to find out that there is a great deal of teciqunique involved. biking- my liquid trainier for my bike is doing a great job while its cold out... but my bike seat is starting to hurt a little.... whats the story for padding and whats up with thoes itailian seats for tribikes... they look cool and light but not so cumfortuble... running- i was taking a shower on sat befor the wedding and had the sudden urge to go run 10 miles.... ive never done this before. and had even biked for a bout an hour and a half... i know i wasnt going to go running but just felt like i could right there and then... well i would put some clothes on first..... Everything seems to be comming along good. in the 3rd week of 6days a week training... just wating for the nice weather... so it makes it fun again to train.... Thought and question and answers welcomed ... ps im having a hard time spelling all day

Swimming is ALL about technique.  And it is a hard discipline to teach.  Some people just get it and others don't.  Be careful learning from friends.  And think about how easy it is for you the throw/hit a curveball.  Could you teach someone in laymen's terms to do that too?

Biking--are you using biking shorts or any chamois cream?  My saddle kills me on the trainer because it is in a static position.  The road doesn't bother me until about mile 60-70.

Glad things are coming along well at this point!

Again...I am not saying don't go for th 70.3 goal. I just want you to spend some time thinking about it. Personally, I LOVE the 70.3 distance. But I will say that is where the differences lie in this sport. Most people with steady training and discipline can get in shape enough to complete a sprint or olympic distance race. A HIM is a different beast. You factor in nutrition, pacing, long runs, etc. It is a lot. Remember the race will be 6-7 hours. You can't really half-a$$ training for a HIM. It will bite you and bite you hard.

Just think through if you are willing to and want to commit the time to learn how to swim 1.2 miles, cycle 56 and run 13.1 all in a row. If the idea excites you and you can commit to a training plan then by all means go for it. I stick to a strict philosophy of encouraging people to be VERY realistic with their goals.

Regarding bike shorts--you will DEFINITELY want to invest in 2-3 pair, especially if you are considering a HIM. I have 4 bike shorts and 5 tri shorts. As far as what brand or etc, you can solicit opinions but at the end of the day it is a personal decision. What fits me might now fit you. Note--they aren't cheap. You can get cheaper shorts from Performance Bikes and Nashbar....but for some you get what you pay for.

Perosnally, I wear Pearl Izumi and Sugoi a lot. I don't love either of them. I plan on trying out 2XU and Zoot this summer.

What does everyone else wear?

I heart Sugoi.  I wear Pearl Izumi bike and tri shorts.  Nike stuff for running just because it fits great and is comfy. 

My new wetsuit is Quintana Roo.  

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Hey Guys - I made it to Round 2 in the contest!!! I've got all the details on my blog in case you feel like passing it on to your family and friends. 

Can you send an email to: [email protected]

Just put 'Sarah McKibben - Round 2' in the subject line and that's it!   Round 2 voting ends on Saturday at 11:59 PM PST.

The top four videos will kick off the final round of voting, which will run from Monday, 2/24/08 to Friday, 2/29/08.

Sorry I haven't been around a lot lately gang.  This broken arm has caused a lot more problems that I thought it was going to.  The arm is doing fine but I was put on some anti-biotic medication after the surgery that caused an incredible problem with my stomch.  Suffice it to say that I have not been able to sleep more than about 3 hours a night, have lost somewhere around 8-10 pounds and can't really eat or drink much.  Not very conducive to training.  Doc thinks she can get me fixed by the end of next week to where I am "normal" again, but she doesn't think it is a good idea to train while I aam on the verge of dehydration just sitting at my desk.  We will see how it goes. 

The good news is that I had actually completed my "Couch to Sprint" training before I broke my arm, and I have been trying as much as I can to keep my strength in my legs strong, so once I get the go-ahead, I can ramp back up the endurance level and be ready to start at it hard again.  My first race is April 19th (so a little over 8 weeks away).  If I can get back to training a little next week, then I figure I can start back at it hard with 6 weeks to go and thus have 5 weeks of intense race training with 1 week of taper before the race.  I have changed my goal for this race from a time in which to finish to just finishing with a smile on my face, given the obstacles that have pressented themselves over the last 5 weeks.  I then have a race on 5/3 and then my A race on 6/22 (Olympic Distance).  I will then have to switch gears a bit because in July I will compete in the U.S. Transplant Olympics.  I will ride the 5k Time Trial (Time to beat is 8:45 to win gold - about 21 MPH) and the 20k Criterium (last time winners ran around 19 MPH average) so I will have to really hit the bike hard. 

Sarah - I saw your thing on youtube and I got you 4 votes (my two emails and my wife's two) It was a great video.

Drew - Gotta get you some shorts.  I just switched from training in bike shorts to tri-shorts so I would get used to thee less padding aspect.

Ok - I'll talk to you all later.

Hey John!! Man, it's been a rough road, huh? I hope you are all fixed up soon and feeling better. I'm convinced you'll be feeling better soon and back to training, but take it slow!

And thanks for the votes!! 

God, I'm such a thread killer!  We're on page 2 though, can't let that happen!

What's everybody got planned for the weekend? I've got a date with Spinervals tonight, a run and swim tomorrow and a long ride on Sunday.   

You aren't a thread killer, lol.  I have been out of the office most of the week and out at night so I haven't been around as much.

This weekend....I need a long ride and a long run.  There will be tons of beer drinking at Oysterfest in between.  I call it carb loading!

You are NOT a thread killer. I just never have anything interesting to say.

I went running yesterday which wasn't on my oly plan schedule but I figure a little extra can't hurt.  Well it was such a bad, slow run and I mostly walked the 2.5 miles. Now when I got up this morning I noticed my knee was slightly swollen. I also took the kids I nanny for shopping downtown yesterday for FIVE hours too. That's five hours of solid walking about.  So when I get this morning my knee is a little red, a little swollen.   Should be ok I think. Some ibuprofen should help.

Well I wanted to ask just how much everyone has improved in their weakest section.  Mine is obviously running. I just can't see myself getting any faster than my 38 minute 5K. But considering when I 1st started I couldn't even run for 2 minutes without wanting to stop. Now I can go the whole 40 minutes. 

I think I'm going to throw up or freak out.  I made it to the final round.  I have a 1 in 4 shot at making this team.  Holy crap. 

Any help you guys can give would be insanely appreciated - I'm the only BT'er in the running now (I think) and I'd love to represent you guys.  

It's time to vote again!  Email:  [email protected] with 'Sarah McKibben - Final Round' in the subject.  Voting ends on Friday at 11:59 PM PST.  

If you want to pass it on to those that you know, you can use the below information.

Hey all! I made it to the final round of voting for the Evotri contest. This means that I am now 1 of 4 finalists and I need your help!

If you've voted in previous rounds, you can vote again! In order to vote - send an email to: [email protected] with 'Sarah McKibben - Final Round' in the subject line. That's it! Final voting will continue until THIS FRIDAY FEB 29th at 11:59 PM PST

In case you're reading for the first time, or want to send this on to family/friends -

Last year was my first year in the sport of triathlon (after dropping about 80 lbs and becoming a runner). It's something that I really enjoy and a good reminder of how far I've come from not being able to run at all to training for an olympic distance triathlon and a half ironman. I know that there are lots of stories like this, but I'm really glad to share mine.

I'm taking part in a contest to be a part of a sponsored tri team. When I first heard about it, it seemed like something so beyond me. Until I sat down and faced my fears. It wasn't a fear of throwing my 'swim cap' in the ring, so to speak. It was because I knew I'd be opening myself up to being judged. This sport is full of the most athletic people around. If you come from my background - it can be INCREDIBLY intimidating. And that's why I decided to make my video. Because there must be people out there like me. Who are afraid to try it out because they don't think they can. Or because they think they aren't fit enough or fast enough. I want to help get as many people into this sport as possible, and also give back to the tri community any way I can. So I submitted the video below and now I'm a finalist. If I win the contest, I'll be on a sponsored triathlon team with a coach and will receive a new triathlon bike. All of that is cool, but the really fun part is that I'll be on a team with several other competitors, and it's something that I never thought would be possible.

I went from never having swim in a pool (with form) to fighting it out over a 2.4 mile lake swim in less than 18 months.  Swimming was clearly my weakest sport.  I just never gave up.  I worked and worked and worked and worked until it one day clicked. 

Personally, I would still argue that swimming is my weakest link.  However, I came out of the water at Ironman in the top 30%.  My run is where I am slow.  So this year, I am focusing on the run

Put in the time, train properly and the time will drop. 

Congrats Sarah!!!  That is awesome.  I am totally jealous if you win and get all that sweet gear.  Do you know how many spots are available???  I thought I read somewhere that it was 3.  I wish I had heard about this in time.  When I did, I didn't have the time to put together a video. 

I am going to pimp you out on my blog all week!!!!

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In unrelated news, I wanted to let my mentor group to know that I will be making a new and MAJOR tri related announcement (hopefully) this week.  Stay tuned for the excitement.  I am going to go vomit now. 

Dollar, I'll totally share it.  You can go on a date with the bike.  Oh god.  I get so nervous thinking about this whole thing.  I'm up against a race director with a 40,000 person database.  Yikes!!!

They'll be having 2 more contests so keep an eye out on the website!!! 3 spots total.

I wanna know what you're announcing!!  

   Let's just say I will be the envy of many (except those that win a contest, lol)

Hmmm...new bike? You already are the envy of many

OK Sarah - I just issued an e-mail edict that eveyone in my warehouse must vote for you using their workplace e-mail and they will get extra points if they use a home e-mail for a second one.  They are to BCC me so I cn see that it was done.  I have a staff of 12 - so let's hope for at least 24 there.  I have also sent an e-mail with all of your stuff to all of the warehouse managers in the country to do me a personal favor and get as many votes as they can drum up.  Some of them owe me big - so we should get a good response there.  I have also included anyone in our corporate that I do business with on a dily basis - so hopefully some more will come there (we are the largest carpet and flooring manufcturer in the nation). 

I will post a plug on my website and at my connection with the National Kidney Foundation.  I will also encourage the folks from the Transplant Olympics team to get you some votes, they are extremely motivated people when they see a good reason to be - and your video is  good reason.

It is important that you succeed in this, because I think it benefits the sport to have team sponsored athletes that are not AG Champs.  Many have a very good reason to be sponsored for tri, and your success here can further that message.