Chet's Group is out doing it!- Closed (Page 16)

Morning everyone. PT this morning then a run. Excited to work the legs today.Ross, I hear really good things about NYC. With the mess that is Boston right now their registration system is excellent. The IM is just special though.

Good afternoon everyone,

A couple of quick questions:

1. My first event is in 3 weeks, it will be my first duathlon.  Are there any transition tricks that are different than a normal tri T1 & T2? 

2. How much/often do you strength train?  My plan calls for twice a week, but I am having a hard time fitting that part of training into my schedule. 

Chris - I assume run-bike-run?  I would say the transitions would be much easier not having to change out of anything wet.  Depending on the distance, I would even consider running cages or platforms on the bike.  That way you would wear your running shoes the entire time.  The only thing you would have to don/doff would be your helmet.  If you wear your clip-ins, I would say you want to be on top of your shoes coming in off the bike.  Three weeks is about when the nerves kick in huh?  Love that.

I had a descent slow 6 miles today.  Heel seems to get better as I go.  It was a confidence booster for at least trying the marathon next week.  I currently have my foot in an ice chest full of ice water which is much worse than it felt running on it  5 long minutes to go! 

Chet it is a run-bike-run. Distances are 3.1, 10, 3.1 miles.  Last year I went with the flying mount onto the bike with shoes clipped in and rubber banded in place. Return to T2 was feet on top of pedals then into the running shoes with Yankz laces and no socks.  Transition was really my friend, lots of "free speed" to be picked up by doing the little things quickly.  I guess the things I'm concerned about are the race start, T1, and pacing on the first run.  Is it common for du's to just have a mass start like a road race, or do they go by waves/age groups?  Do I change things up and wear socks or just do what I'm comfortable with? How hard is it to not go out too fast/hard on the first run?  Do I add 10, 20, 30 seconds or more to my 5k time to establish my pace?  So, yes, 3 weeks out is when the nerves start.  Thanks for listening.

Chris - Sounds like you are on top things.  As far as pace, for those distances I say drop the hammer and go for it.  Redline from the get go and try to hold on.  I think you will recover some at the beginning of each leg.  In the famous words of Chrissy Wellington, " don't be afraid to go fast".

Hope everyone has a great weekend planned. 

Chris - forgot one thing.  You have to check your race because it could have all of those starts you mentioned.

That reminds me of a baseball player's response to the question of how he hit so many homeruns, "I just swing hard." 

Groetjes uit Nederland!   :-)

After ~4 days of car/airplane transit (Vancouver -> Seattle -> Houston -> Boston -> Philly -> Amsterdam), I've finally landed in the Netherlands!   For the next few days, I'm staying with friends in the Hague (Den Haag), and I finally had my first chance to run (1 hr 12 min, in the dunes) since leaving Vancouver.

Now that the travel is over with, I look forward to more running in the upcoming days!   (And 3 more days until I'm reunited w/ my bicycles!)   :-)

Melanie

P.S.  I also finished reading 'Born to Run', which makes quite a compelling argument for barefoot running.   Does anyone here have any experience with that?

Congrats Mel!  Sounds like quite a trip.  Glad you made it in one piece.  It seems like I see more barefooters at every race.  i can say you have to start really slow.  You have to start over on building mileage because you will break your feet.  Stress fractures are really common in the beginning.  I am going to have to read that book.

I am heading out on the roadie today.  The weather has been so nice this week, really looking forward to it. 

i had great ride this morning!  Nice easy pace, beautiful outside, and legs felt good.  Hope everyone is having a great weekend.  

Still trying to figure out this group ride thing! Overslept this morning and was not going to make it to the start, so I headed out to the north end turn around hoping to catch the group there. Saw a group making the turn just as I pulled up, so thinking I had missed them I started out on a solo ride. About a half mile into my ride I see the group I was hoping to meet up with going the other way, soooo..... I eased up and waited for them to catch me then hung with them back to the store then turned around and rode solo back to my truck. 26 miles at 18.1 average. One of these days I'll get it right.

Chris- you will get them figured out.  It is always more fun riding with friends but it usually takes a lot longer to get the ride in

1 week to go and the nerves are kicking in.   All I am hoping for now is a healthy foot. 

I'm having a weird week, have tried 3 times to get a swim in and failed on the first 2! First time pool shut early, second time pool full of old breast strokers and then last night turned up after my surf patrol to find pool was shutting early!!!
Luckily the woman said I could go in for free and so got 20min swimming done before they closed the place (wearing the lifesaver uniform often gets a few favours like cheap swims and cheap coffee).

Was meant to be meeting friends this morning for a ride but they got the days mixed up and arrived as I was going to work yesterday morning...!

So, I'm going to do a brick session on my own when it cools down later.

Mel - I run barefoot on the hard sand near the water's edge quite often, normally no more than 6k; I used to get painful calves but now I find it very comfortable and relaxing.

Apparently once your small muscles in your feet and lower legs have adapted there's much less impact on your body than when wearing shoes - there's research showing that softer running shoes can cause greater impact forces. This is due to removing the sensation from your feet/lower legs which would normally result in a naturally shock absorbing gait. If you compare how you run barefoot with how you run in shoes you find that you adopt a more shock absorbing style (ie land on your fore/midfoot and absorb the impact with knee and ankle flexion rather than landing on your heel with a straight leg).

I have been slacking the last few days. It is my sons first birthday so we have had family and friends visiting non stop. Gonna sneak out now for a gentle sunday morning run. The sun is up, the sky is blue and the ice has melted. Should be fun.

C'mon Murray! (Scotsman in the final of the Australian tennis open!)

Managed to get a 52km bike ride in and then did a 3k beach run.
Had a puncture with 15k to go, I've been dreading having a puncture - it's the first I've had on my road bike - but managed to fix it fairly easily, but very slowly. Must buy a CO2 carttridge and some spare tubes this week.

Rest day tomorrow, just watched Andy Murray lose the Australian Open final, sorry eejit!

Yeah he got pretty soundly thrashed eh?

Punctures are also my biggest fear on the bike. I got the gatorskin tyres for that reason and have had none since. Slightly heavier tyres but the time lost to a puncture will more than outweigh then time lost to a slightly heavy tyre.

x2 on the Gatorskins. Had 3 flats in a week last season before making the switch, none since.

Ross - Daughter's 6th birthday party today, it doesn't get any easier Going to try to get out for a short run this morning too.

David - Look really close at the tire or there will be more flats in your future.  I like what both Ross and Chris said about the Gatorskins.  I have found it is usually the tire that is the problem.  It REALLY sucks to put your spare tube in and listen to it pop as you inflate it.  I have been stranded a couple times.  Go Gatorskins.  I actually race now with tubeless.  I find they are much more durable and easier to change.   

Short run did not go well today.  Really going to have to lay off the running after this weekend to get this thing worked out.  Always another race.  It will be a good opportunity to really start pushing my biking fitness.

Ross & Chet - my oldest had his 9th birthday party today. It was at our local Y, so I used the pool time portion to get in a few laps, the first I've been in the water since my last race in October.

Chet - Sorry to hear about your bad run.  What was the diagnosis on the heal?  Have you tried heal lifts?  Not a great long term solution but it may get you through the race.

David - Coming from someone who has had multiple flats from a sharp edge on my rim, always run your finger around the inside of the tire and over the spoke nipples before putting in a new tube. 

Mel - Glad to hear you made it safely, hope you enjoy your rides while you're there.

Today was a long HR Zone run.  These drive me crazy, I just want to go fast.  I am getting better at running in Zones 2 & 3, but I think my HR monitor needs a new battery because it was jumping all over the place. Zone 1 one reading then Zone 4 the next and my pace never changed.  I parked at the south end of Anna Maria Island and ran to the north end, then took the trolley back to my truck.  A nice change from my normal in town routes.  I even jumped out on the beach for a couple of miles since my first race will have a section of beach in both run legs.  Next week is a recovery week and the timing could not be better, there are NO HOME events at the high school so I will actually be able to spend some time with the family. 

It sounds like January is a popular month for our kid's birthdays.  Chris, after I tried a few of the popular remedies I realized that this is probably not a soft tissue problem.  I am leaning more toward bone bruise or spur.  I don't believe it is a stress fracture.  It is an impact pain that I would like to go away within the week.  I am just a little frustrated because I made it through the training and just need a shot at the race to qualify.  We will see, I am still not ruling it out.

Sounds like everyone is having a stellar time getting their training in this week. That is with the exception of myself and David. I too have had "interference". College kid is home sick, had to treat her. Then I had planned a swim and two scheduled runs but I was on call and the traumas kept rolling in. Due to fatigue/ not sleeping, that trumped the workouts. Eh..were on to another week. It's always something.

Mel glad to hear your keeping at it from afar, good job. Also, I agree with David. I run barefoot (vibram five fingers) for short distances and have noticed a change in posture and running style that seems to use more muscles and a more efficient stride.
Chet- Hope the kinks work out for your running.
Chris- It still sounds like you are getting some killer cycling in despite being on time.
Ross- good job.

Morning everyone, today is a DAY OFF!!!  Looking forward to the rest.

Chet - it sounds like a stone bruise.  I had a long jumper that would get them from hitting the take-off board wrong.  To get him through meets I would take a piece of 1/2 inch closed cell foam, cut it to match the heel of his insole, then remove some of the foam directly under the bruise.  Bevel the front edge where the heel transitions to the arch then use duct tape doubled over (sticky side out) to hold it in place.  Make another one for the other heel without the cutout so that you don't change your stride.  Eventually the pads will crush and have to be replaced, but hopefully you will be healed by then. 

Rest and treatment today. Still planning on running sunday. The tempo on Wednesday will tell me a lot. Hope everyone is having a great day. Chris I will try what you suggested to see if that gives me some relief.

Hey guys,
 
Just checking in..   life in Den Haag has been great!  Besides visiting w/ friends, I've gone for 2 runs in the dunes/beach (1:12, 0:42) in the past couple days.   Tomorrow I'll move into my new place in Amsterdam...

Regarding flat tires:  I always had good luck w/ Schwalbe Marathon tires.   I believe that they make a version for racing bikes..   (I've used them on my commuting/touring bikes -- I never had a flat again!)

Someone asked before about dream races:  mine would be any ultramarathon.  The Marathon des Sables is also the first one that springs to mind..    it's a definite bucket list item for me!

Cheers, and happy Monday!

Mel