Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED (Page 152)

2011-08-19 5:20 PM

in reply to: #3650240

Expert

1051

San Jose

Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED

stevebradley - 2011-08-19 5:54 AM JOHANNE - That's two GREAT things --- to have you back here, and to learn of the whoppin' 7' PR. That is obviously enormous, another solid piece of evidence as to how much you have improved and will almost certainly continue to improve. You must be floating around on yet another cloud nowadays, huh? I enjoyed your report, especially the part about bumping into Dave. You two really must've been destined for each other! For most people, they find their progress similar to yours -- that with decent training, the improvements continue to build on each other. I really think that you haven't even begun to approach your maximum (maximal?) abilities, and that you can continue to look at significant time gains for many years. I think that one of the reasons I have gotten grabbed so strongly by Yoga is that it represents somthing I can somewhat dramatically grow in. I haven't felt that with triathlon for a few years, and unless I get a coach of made big upgrades in equipment, i am close to my peak abilities as it stands. And as I can't afford either coach or big upgrades, I think I'm mostly stuck where I am. That said, though, there are areas I can improve in: better swims, a return to faster transitions (I used to be an ace, but recently not so much), smarter nutrition, being willing to hurt lots throughout the run. I think I am close to my abilities at olys, but can still grow in sprints and half-irons -- but the latter only if my body can hold up to the training for them. The sprints, though, are intriguing because the thought of a high-intensity swim and run for those distances is not so daunting. I mean, they are relatively small periods at which I would have to suffer, half the distances of an oly, in fact. Blah, blah, blah! My original point being that for you, if you keep working hard, there is no foreseeable end to your upside. That doesn't mean that every race will be stellar-by-comparison (remember, not all training and racing is progressively linear!!), but over the course of one or two or three races, you should continue to see improvements. Halleloo! And halleloo to be able to go to London. It ought to be all fine and dandy by then, as the British justice system is dealing with the perps with swift and heavy sentences. Sadly, though, I don't think merry old England deals in ice cream lunches. I guess you're just going to have to make do with "cream teas" -- those lovely mid-afternoon events that feature scones with jam and Devon cream. Oh, yum!!

Thanks Steve. Yes, I can see improvement happening for a while and then it'll settle into minutes here and there. I want to work on transition speed too. My niece had a T1 of 54 sec and a T2 of 37 sec. She really puts time and thought into getting in and out.

I did my long run yesterday. I'm working on not using walking breaks as a crutch. They have value but I've been in the habit of overusing them So yesterday I had to do a 2 hour run. I told myself that I could walk 1 min at the 15, 45, 1:15 and 1:45 and 2 min at the 30 and the 1 hr mark. So in all I walked 8 min and ran the rest. It was the best distance run I've had in a long time and mostly it was because I made a plan and then stuck to it. I got 11 miles in and could of kept going. It was a confidence boost for me because I'm always doubting that I even could run some days. The mind is a fickle thing.

Speaking of scones we went to a lavendar farm in Washington and got a lavendar scone mix. They were delicious! I'm sure I will find some good treats in England. Luckily, the burn/looted area is not close to where we will be for the weekend so hopefully it'll be nice and quiet.

Good luck to Steve and Alex this weekend! Anyone else racing?

2011-08-19 5:23 PM

in reply to: #3256772

Expert

1051

San Jose

Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED

George,

I think you are the perfect person to try ben gay and then you can tell us if you get any blisters? It might be so soothing you wouldn't feel them!

I've only used a chiro when I was training for the marathon. He really kept my legs in check and did some ART. There seem to be 2 styles of chiro's. I've never gone to the type that does all the twisting/adjusting stuff.

Johanne

2011-08-19 6:18 PM

in reply to: #3651243

Champion

10618

Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED

JEFF -

Thanks for the warning. I usually do it via PM, but this time I just got slack, unwatchful, head down, etc. I actually haven't checked furtehr down to see if ALEX posted hers here. I hope she's more cautious than I was!

2011-08-19 6:24 PM

in reply to: #3651398

Champion

10618

Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED

JOANNE -

Really well done on starting to wean yourself from walking breaks! It was a good startegy going in, and you executed it beautifully. I suspect that before too long, if you want, you can be rid of them except when absolutely necessary.

For whatever reasons (I can't remember now), I never got in the habit of using walking breaks. They were there in the early-days marathon books I was using, back in '98/'99, but I just went with the "carry-on" option. Of course, I have done many races in which walking breaks were necessary, and only one marathon in which it was not. They certainly do have their life-saving properties, I would say!

2011-08-19 6:28 PM

in reply to: #3651401

Champion

10618

Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED

JOANNE again -

Lots of chiros have added A.R.T. to their arsenals, and it must be a huge boon to their practice. It moves them beyond the realm of skeletal/joint problems and on into muscle/tendon concerns. If I had to take only one practicioner to a desert island with me, it would bean A.R.T. person!

2011-08-19 6:39 PM

in reply to: #3650073

Champion

10618

Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED

Anyone else racing this weekend?

For ALEX and ME it is Park City Mossman, near Bridgeport, CT, on Sunday.

The event is olympic distance, and ALEX is doing the aquabike and I'm doing the straight triathlon. Neither of us were contemplating this a few weeks ago, but Alex started thinking of it as an option to Litchfield Hills, and in telling her that it sounds like a mighty cool event, I got hooked as well.

The website is www.teammossman.com, and the maps show a swim in Long Island Sound, a 5-loop bike that is flatflatflat, and a 2-loop run that is also flat and along the boardwalk, and with little shade. The first wave goes off at 6:30, so at least both of us should be done well before the heat of the day sets in, and the sun perches high overhead.

I'm not sure how ready I am for an oly. I haven't done any oly bricks, but my handful of 10km+ runs in the past couple of months have been pretty good. The bike course is one that can lure a rider into hammering the whole thing and then having little left for the run, so I will need to strike the balance early on between being as aggressive as possible while not blowing up my legs.

Alex will be the first person form this group that I get to meet in person, and I'm excited about that. ELLEN was still planning on being at Nation's with me, but we've heard little from her since she broke her toe about a month ago. I hope she is stuiill getting some training in and that she will also be at Nations. GEORGE was going to be at Nation's, but had to bail.

Looking forward to Sunday....but that means I'll be away from here until Sunday night or Monday morning. (Leaving about 7a.m. tomorrow.) If I'm not back later this evening, have good weekends, all!

2011-08-20 9:24 PM

in reply to: #3256772

Master

2236

Denison Texas

Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED

PR's my private little 5k course 23:31 for 3.06, this would have given me 23:49 at 5k so a pr for that distance if I held it for another 100 meters or so. This makes up for a miserable slow ride in 106 deg heat doing hill repeats on the highway service road. I definately did not negative split this though, I faded a bit, slowed deliberately a few times then kicked it back in toward the end.

I have a 5k next weekend in Sherman and I'm hoping for a similar time on that run, perhaps hardware.

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend

2011-08-21 10:05 AM

in reply to: #3652240

Expert

1051

San Jose

Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED

Av8rTx - 2011-08-20 7:24 PM

I have a 5k next weekend in Sherman and I'm hoping for a similar time on that run, perhaps hardware.

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend

Great run time Jeff!

I think a miserable FAST ride in 106 deg heat doing hill repeats would of put you to bed! You probably have the best heat training of all of us!

2011-08-21 12:20 PM

in reply to: #3652444

Master

2236

Denison Texas

Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED

50andgettingfit - 2011-08-21 10:05 AM

Av8rTx - 2011-08-20 7:24 PM

I have a 5k next weekend in Sherman and I'm hoping for a similar time on that run, perhaps hardware.

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend

Great run time Jeff!

I think a miserable FAST ride in 106 deg heat doing hill repeats would of put you to bed! You probably have the best heat training of all of us!

Well I skipped the Camelbak with the refreshing chunk of ice and used the water bottle system I will use in Branson-the consequence? The bottle contents were a refreshing 90 degrees or so within 30 minutes of convective heating above the pavement.

2011-08-21 12:40 PM

in reply to: #3652558

Expert

1051

San Jose

Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED

Av8rTx - 2011-08-21 10:20 AM

50andgettingfit - 2011-08-21 10:05 AM

Av8rTx - 2011-08-20 7:24 PM

I have a 5k next weekend in Sherman and I'm hoping for a similar time on that run, perhaps hardware.

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend

Great run time Jeff!

I think a miserable FAST ride in 106 deg heat doing hill repeats would of put you to bed! You probably have the best heat training of all of us!

That hot water is nasty too! I took half frozen water bottles with me on a bike ride when I was visiting my daughter in Arizona and within 10 min they had melted and were getting hot. Yuck. Branson should be a little cooler right?

2011-08-21 12:47 PM

in reply to: #3652575

Master

2236

Denison Texas

Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED

Branson should be a little cooler right?

Maybe, but more humid. I don't know how to prepare for the humidity, that's worse in many ways than just raw heat

2011-08-21 1:18 PM

in reply to: #3652581

Expert

1051

San Jose

Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED

Av8rTx - 2011-08-21 10:47 AM

Branson should be a little cooler right?

Maybe, but more humid. I don't know how to prepare for the humidity, that's worse in many ways than just raw heat

Don't you have a man cave in the basement with your trainer? You can set up a humidifier down there

2011-08-21 1:24 PM

in reply to: #3652605

Master

2236

Denison Texas

Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED

50andgettingfit - 2011-08-21 1:18 PM

Av8rTx - 2011-08-21 10:47 AM

Branson should be a little cooler right?

Maybe, but more humid. I don't know how to prepare for the humidity, that's worse in many ways than just raw heat

Don't you have a man cave in the basement with your trainer? You can set up a humidifier down there

Basement? You know there are no basements in Texas? Yankees have basements

astorm65

2011-08-21 3:24 PM

in reply to: #3256772

Veteran

283

New York

Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED

I don't have my race report done yet but it was a good race. Our fearless leader is an awesome dude! He says HI... he said that he won't get back to Canada until 7pm or so ....

I did the Aquabike as I am no where near ready to run 10K... (I want to run 5K without walking before I consider tackling 10K) I am happy with my results though I was 6/6 for the women who did the aquabike but came in within a minute of the person in front of me... I have to get my numbers and take a look at them... Hope all had a great weekend!!

Steve-- just looked at my Garmin data.. the swim wasn't short... it was .98mi.. at least that is what I swam so maybe it was short given that I didn't sight well and swam extra!

Alex

Edited by astorm65 2011-08-21 3:26 PM

2011-08-21 9:54 PM

in reply to: #3652700

Champion

10618

Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED

GANG!

Back home after a long drive. A few stops, several torrential downpours, a lengthy wait at the border -- all wrapped around about 440 miles each way. YAWN!!

I had a great race (numbers below), but the highlight was spending lots of time with ALEX, especially post-race. And the nature of the course meant that we got to see each other several times during the proceedings, so that was nifty, too.

She graciously led me out of Bridgeport (no mean feat, that) and all the way to where our paths diverged about 75 minutes later, and a few times she almost "dropped" me. Around Katonah, NY, she opened up a large gap, and I had to "go deep" -- just about at my lactate threshhold!)to catch back up with her. Mercy!

2011-08-21 10:00 PM

in reply to: #3653039

Champion

10618

Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED

Race numbers -- Park City Mossman (oly), Bridgeport, CT

SWIM (1500m, ocean....asterisked!)
24:25
2/6 a.g.
56/243 overall

T1
1:15
1st a.g
52nd o.a.

BIKE (25 miles)
1:07:09 (22.2 mph)
1st a.g.
33rd o.a.

T2
1:20
1srt a.g.
138th o.a.

RUN
47:48 (7:42/mile)
1st a.g.
38th o.a.

2:21:58
1/6 M60-64 (next guy was 11 minutes back)
34/243 overall

More details later. And only one minor bike mishap, so if things come in threes.......I'm done with mishaps!!!!

Woo-hoo!

Edited by stevebradley 2011-08-21 10:05 PM

Zam92

2011-08-22 5:52 AM

in reply to: #3256772

Member

179

Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED

Hi All,

I am still alive and doing some training. I have been working a lot and getting ready to go back to school. I teach 2 courses and they are a lot of work to prepare for. We just took my son back to college for his sophomore year. He runs for them so he went a week early to get ready for cross country.

Steve, I am still planning to see you at Nations. I think I told you that I live about 45 minutes from the race. If you would like to stay with us you are very welcome. We have a decent guest room with a private bath. Since my son is gone you will not be surprised by anyone crashing with you. That has been the pattern all summer. I just count the shoes in the laundry room to see how many guests we have. I will be leaving pretty early also. I think a little before 4. In my experience that gets you ok parking and you are there plenty early. Is Lynn coming with you?

You have to drop of your bike on Saturday so that is an extra trip. I usually go and take in the expo and see who is talking. They offer a chance to swim in the Potomac Saturday afternoon. I don't do that. I think the less time you spend in the Potomac the better.

I am off to work. I have enjoyed reading about all of your racing and training. Mine has been pretty light. I did ride back to Gettysburg last week. It was about 74 miles and I had fun. I will try to keep running since that is definitely the part I struggle with the most for the next 2 weeks.

Ellen

2011-08-22 8:19 AM

in reply to: #3653184

Champion

10618

Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED

ELLEN!

Yo! Great to hear from you! I have been worrying about you for a while, and thinking about zipping off another PM to you, but ultimately decided not to pester you yet again. Had you not resurfaced, though, that would've been your afte -- another (groan....) PM from me!

Having seen Alex yesterday, I was thinking about you lots on my return drive, just wondering if your toe had improved enough to keep you in the running for Nations. And it sounds like Yes! It has! Outstanding!!

Overall, though, how is it.....and how are you? Have you been training enough to feel okay about the prospects? Other than for the fact that I know it is there for me and that I want to make it important, it's been mostly out-of-sight-out-of-mind. I dug out the stuff I printed on Feb 13, when the countdown "clock" was at 209:13:32:54. By the time I printed off all the updates and course changes a few days ago, the clock was at 22:9:50:25. Time flies when you're having fun? Apparently!

Many thanks for the offer of a room at the inn. That is very generous and kind, and I will see how it fits into whatever passes for "plans". Lynn will not be with me, as I will be driving her to Harrisonburg on the Thursdsay to meet up with a friend, and from there they will drive to Asheville for a big mushroom foray (I am not making this up) that ends Sunday at about noon. They will drive back to Harrisonburg, as will I, and Lynn and I will motel there before heading back home on Monday.

Between Friday morning and Sunday......I'm not sure what will be happening. I might try to meet up with a couple who will be doing Reston Tri* on Saturday, but they also might be heavily involved in all the social aspects of their tri club (Team FExy). I will probably want to go to a Nationals game (are you a baseball fan?). I will do all the pre-race stuff as early as possible, meaning packet pick-up and couse orientations and all.

As for the pre-race swim, though, I am interested in that. I had missed that it was happening, but it really does have some appeal. Well, "appeal" is not quite right; how about "merit"? I guess I would like to kind of know what to expect in terms of turbidity....odor....flocculents.....whatever. I appraciate what you say about the less time in it the better, but remember -- I have done the NYC Tri twice, meaning two swims in the Hudson, and the first time was in '05 after three days of downpours, so the Manhattan outflow systems were, um, "strained".

And I regularly swim in the Rideau River in Ottawa which also might get a bit too much "outflow". Oh, my!

So, I'll have to see what logistics are like for that and try to make driving in and parking and all something that is doable. But if I have to park in College Park and take a shuttle.....

I guess you have seen the revised swim start plan, and I wonder if that was a quick response to the drownings at NYCT a few weeks ago. Do you know when Nations made that change? I think I have done only one time-trial-type swim start, so this will be somewhat novel.

So, really -- how are you? Did the toe quickly become something you could work around, or through, reasonably okay? It sounds good right now, what with the Gettysburg ride and the mention of working at running -- or at least "will try" (future tense better than nothing!).

Speaking of Gettysburg, I'm lloking into the new race there aon ~Oct 15. It's an odd one -- a sprint and an olympic, but both bikes the same. So the sprint is 750-25-3.1, and the oly is 1500-25-6.2. I am very tempted to come down and do one or the other, and I will mention it to Alex, who loves cycling but is less enthused by swimming and running (although she did great swimming 1500 in L.I. Sound yesterday!), and who therefore might enjoy the bike-heavy sprint at Gburg. Maybe you, too??

As for the * above, you should look into Reston at some point. The swim is a straight mile and the bike is maybe 20 miles and the run is 10km, but the best part is the SWAG. It changes each year (they call it "primes"), and my year featured socks, water bottle, and a gorgeous reversible vest -- furry inside, with the outside water-repellant and with the race's logo. It is one of my favoritest pieces of any clothing I own. The food is great, ambience superb. There are two transition areas, but it is very doable. (I told Alex yesterday that I thought I had done a race with that set-up, but couldn't remember which one it was.) It is about $100, and fills quickly in December. Just so you know!

2011-08-22 8:28 AM

in reply to: #3653332

Champion

10618

Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED

JEFF -

Good run, and a tough-as-nails ride. I agree with Johanne -- you should've gone straight to bed!

I wish I had some advice for you about humidity, but it continues to baffle and torment me. There is no predicting how it will affect me, other than it sure never helps. Yesterday's run at Mossman was humidity-affected, and while it wasn't off-the-charts it still took some toll. And it was enough so that when I turned back into the wind, I was thankful for the effects of the wind even as it slowed me down some.

Th eonly thing I can suggest is to make a point of training in humidity. Heat works that way in prepping for a hot-site race, and I humidity does, too -- although not as clearly or predictably. I guess that reflects the use above of "baffle and torment", as I rally never know how wilting the humidity wil be for me. Yech, is all.

2011-08-22 8:41 AM

in reply to: #3653341

Champion

10618

Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED

Best first-place award? Maybe yesterday, where it was 100% discount to next year's race. Of course, I have to get there (420+ miles each way and, if it's the same weekend, will conflict with Jane's wedding!

), but the face value is at least $100 (this year's entry fee). That's pretty generous of them, i think!

gdsemiller

2011-08-22 12:50 PM

in reply to: #3256772

Extreme Veteran

371

Mobile

Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED

Hey Everyone,

I hope everyone had a great weekend, sounds like Steve and Alex had a great race.

Jeff - Great job on the run

Ellen - Good to hear you are back at it and will be doing Nations.

Johanne - Awesome job on starting to drop you walk splits and only walking 8 minutes on a 2 hour run. Heck I walk 8 minutes on a 10 minutes run. Keep up the good work.

Well they finally posted the photos from my last race. I hope everyone has a great day today.

(Mountain Lake Swim 2.jpg)

(Mountain Lakes Finish 2.jpg)

(Mountain Lakes Bike.jpg)

(Mountian Lakes Run.jpg)

Attachments
----------------
Mountain Lake Swim 2.jpg (50KB - 16 downloads)
Mountain Lakes Finish 2.jpg (97KB - 13 downloads)
Mountain Lakes Bike.jpg (55KB - 10 downloads)
Mountian Lakes Run.jpg (50KB - 18 downloads)

2011-08-22 1:56 PM

in reply to: #3653866

Champion

10618

Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED

GEORGE -

Good photos!!! Mucho thanko for posting them!

Brightroom is a real hit-and-miss organization. I guess part of it is how much the race wants to sink into photo ops, which means how many photographers are on course. You has several, and the backdrops are varied and attractive. They done good by ya!

A couple of my favorite races have done away with professional photography, or at least last year they did. One of them I have already missed, the other, in two weeks, I'm likely to miss, but maybe enough people squaked so the photographers will be back. I think it's really important for new people to be able to see themselves, and I suspect lots of those folks were disappointed at NO photos from Fronhofer Tool and Lake George triathlons last year.

That group in Ottawa, Zoom Photo, that take lots -- well, they do just that, but there is no true creativity. Whereas the ones with the sunflowers last year (did you ever get to those, by the way?), at least the camersa guy had to work to get that vantage point.

I wanted at least one bike one from West Point last week; as it was, there was just the finish line shot. Yesterday should yield lots -- a benefit of multiple out-and-backs where the photographer stays in one spot and gets five shots of each person on the bike.

Onwards!