Destination MoP Group is FULL (of motivated life jugglers) (Page 16)

Hi Everyone!

Wow... alot of action on the board in the last couple of days - cool!  Thanks for sending all the goals... I'll be compiling them tonight.  They look really good.  Glad to see everyone participating.  May add a new column for injuries and other challenges this group is facing :-/

Jen, so sorry to hear about your family's loss.  Safe travels and hope you all are able to celebrate his life.

Anne - so glad to hear about the biopsy results!  Phew!!  Now get healed up so you can enjoy (warm) Disney!

Yvette - good question about spin class.  I'll tackle that one after the goals.  You may have seen there is quite a bit of discussion pro/con on that point.  I'm pro, but with some caveats.

So, as someone here warned me (Rach?), I should sign up for the Austin HM quickly before it closes.  But I wasn't sure if I was ready yet, wanted to see how I responded to the 10 mi run over the weekend and hill run on Wed.  Frankly, after the runs I wasn't convinced I was ready, but decided "what the heck"... well, you guessed it... it had filled up since Sunday.  I think it was probably a blessing in disguise as my legs just don't feel like they have it and I could already tell it was going to alter an already iffy training plan mid-month.  Plus, there were some logistics issues with work / the conference... so, I'll just stick with training for Feb and hopefully stay healthy.  However, thinking about signing up did push me back to running a little bit earlier than I might have otherwise done, and that may be a good thing in itself :-)

So far, a good training week for me, but just super busy all around.  Okay, on to the goals... look for them tomorrow!

Stu

I just found this thread about garmins. It might be helpful, if any one's in the market for one.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=239337&posts=18&start=1

Good Morning Everyone!

Here is the updated goals table.  For a couple of you, I grabbed your goals from your training logs (hope that was okay).  If I missed anyone, just send them on anytime.  I know with injuries and other unknowns, it is hard to set them.  Remember also two overarching goals of having fun and being healthy.  I always like to remind myself about those two - usual if I'm struggling with one of them (such as having fun), the other one (being healthy) comes to the rescue :-)

Screen Name	Name	2011 Goal Distance	Goal 1	Progress	Goal 2	Progress	Challenge /Injury
AKR18	Anne	HM/OLY	Swim 2x/Run 3x/Bike 2x each week		Stretching and Yoga MW		Stitches and Travel
BeachProf	Joanne	1st Sprint	Increase from 1x/wk to 2x/wk for all 3 events.		1 serving for dinner
Chapfallen	Rachel	OLY	Short run pace < 10min/mi, build distance		To swim/cycle/run 2x each per week
jcoble1209	Jennifer	1st Sprint					Funeral
JuneApple	Stu	HIM	100 mi running or 33 hours training		30 min of stairmaster and/or rowing/wk
Rlh98296	Ron	1st Sprint	3x5mi runs/wk, 2xbike/wk, weights 4X/wk		Eat More Healthy!
RustyMom	Andrea	1st Mini/Sprint?	3x run, 2-3x swim /wk, MR ex class		Weigh < 200
Slow Turtle	Heidi	Sprint	Run 3x/week		Jillian Michael's 30 day shred		Sick
SportzVision	Cynthia	OLY	Keep up with training plan		Strength and Yoga		Pre-Calc Survival
StlPhil	Phil	Sprint+					Ankles
TriVettee	Yvette	Sprint	2x swim, bike, run / wk		Inc. Core or Strength/week

If you're a fan of BT on Facebook, you may have already have seen this good article on scheduling workouts, if not, here's the link!

Scheduling Workouts

I really liked the charts toward the bottom of the article showing various configurations for scheduling.  I tend to be a little ad hoc due to my travel and work schedule, but if you are able to take advantage of some of spacing out the long vs. short workouts and rest, it's great!

Have a great day everyone! 

Stu

thanks for posting the goals!!!

resisted urge to fit in a swim today- will hit the bike trainer instead.

middle child, age 3, got fillings today. POOR THING! Hoping everyone naps soon so I can ride, then 2 runs this weekend.

Thanks for the tips Joanne.  I completely agree that for my long runs I don't want to be focusing on pace.  I probably should have specified that by a "short" run, at the moment I mean 2 miles, and I'm hoping to build that up gradually to maybe 4 miles maximum, while my long runs will be getting considerably longer.  In addition to the triathlons I'm hoping to do a marathon in October with some friends, so need to build up some distance ability over the year...

On the negative side, I was planning a short run today but my shins are a little painful so I've decided to make it another rest day until I can speak to my physio and work out the best plan of action (or inaction). 

Spent this afternoon standing in gale force winds at a crime scene (it's one of the more boring/unpleasant parts of my job) so I'm a) really tired and b) still warming up.  On the positive side I've probably burnt a couple of hundred extra calories just from shivering!

Good Morning Everyone!

Dreary day here in Virginia - lots of cold rain.  But I am very thankful that we've been spared all the snow this year.  Last year we seemed to have a target on our back and this year it just keeps missing us - just a little north, or west, or south, or we're at 34 degrees.  Anyway, spring is coming, just hang in there and get the workouts when you can.

I've noticed some folks talking about different pacing and distances in their running workouts.  This is really important in your run training as you get more serious.  I'm a great believer in mixing in these different types of workouts.  A little harder when you're training for triathlons than when you're just focused on running, but the concept still holds. 

For some incredibly detailed information on why this is important and a great summary of different types of training runs, check out the McMillan Running Site. There's also a really cool calculator on the site that can help you calculate the appropriate speeds for the various types of training runs.  Be forewarned, however, that this is one of those sites where you have to print out the information and make notes in the margin - it's dense, but a great source!

Stu

Hi Yvette,

This is a really interesting question that I've pondered during my commute!  And the answer probably is, "it depends".  So rather than answer your question with a black and white kind of response, I think perhaps the better way to answer it is what are the pros and cons of each and to consider some aspects of each that might be good for your particular situation.  Let me say that this is just Stu's opinion and no doubt there are some studies out there which will probably refute half of what I'm saying... so, just pop my opinion in there with all the other ingredients and make of it what you will.

Let me start off by saying that I'm pretty sure that my knee problems from 3 years ago were caused by what I did in a spin class.  So the first thing I'm going emphasize are some pitfalls to avoid in spin class, regardless of your instructor.

1) Proper Set-up.  *MOST IMPORTANT*  Make sure you adjust your spin bike to the correct size and position for you.  Your instructor should be able to help you, but you ought to know how to do it yourself.  Just like getting good running shoes and fitting your bike, if you get on a spin bike and it is not set up for you, you are asking for trouble.

2) Avoid the extremes.  This is a personal opinion and may apply only because I'm an old guy whose knees are not in their prime :-)  I'm not a fan of the out of control fast spins or the really heavy resistance.  Basically, I think you want to make sure you always are able to have a smooth stroke.  Note that depending on the spin machine type, the adjustments may vary machine to machine - don't assume that a turn on machine A is the same as on machine B.

3) Choose the instructor.  Instructors have *very* different routines.  I find that instructors who are cyclists run a very different class than instructors who are aerobic instructors (and better for Tri goals IMHO).  I had one last week who basically tried to have us dance on the bike.  While I appreciate the desire to make the class interesting, a whole bunch of fast bouncing up and down does not help our biking form and I believe, creates a situation more likely to cause injury.

Okay, with those three things out of the way, here are some more general thoughts:

Advantages of Spin Bikes / Classes:

1) You (the instructor) can fully control the workout and there's little or no down time (coasting)
2) You can focus on particular aspects of your riding without thinking about traffic, dogs, potholes, gearing, etc.
3) You can do particular drills like intervals, one leg, etc.
4) For me, the overall intensity in an equal amount of time seems to be higher (that may be an indictment of my road cycling)
5) You can (safely) listen to music and/or use music to hit particular rpm targets
6) You can do spin class when conditions outside are less than stellar
7) Some people enjoy the social aspect of a class, so you can be with other people while "riding" at your own pace
8) May be easier to incorporate other workouts around the biking b/c you are already in the gym
9) I don't know anyone who had a bad accident on a spin bike, no attacking dogs, no dodging stupid cars who don't appreciate cyclists, etc.

Advantages of Road Cycling

1) It's on your bike, set up for you
2) You get to practice in real conditions and can work more on things like cutting down wind resistance, managing water bottles, general handling practice, appropriate gearing, etc.
3) On hills, you are pulling your actual weight up over the crest... can't replicate that on a machine.
4) You can potentially substitute an auto commute with a bike commute, thus accomplishing two things at once
5) I don't think a long spin is the same as a long bike ride.  You need to make sure you can handle being on your bike that long.
6) On a nice day, is there anything better?

In an ideal world, I'd probably choose to do one of my weekly workouts as a spin class where my focus was interval work / intensity and the rest on my bike on routes that allowed me to practice particular things (long even pace, hills, etc.).  Frankly, it is a little like using a treadmill or swimming in a pool.  There are some things that indoor training allows you to do better - usually having to do with interval sprint training / controlled environment, but it's not the same.  I think the real key is taking advantage of what each type of workout has to offer. 

The last thing I'll throw in is how you feel about it.  Forget all the literature... what motivates you?  Are you more excited to do one over the other?  Are you more likely to have a good workout?  These things shouldn't be tossed in the name of heart rate zones, etc.  Maybe mixing it up a bit keeps training more interesting!

Okay, that was a bit more than I expected to write and I need to get a move on!  Hope you all have a wonderful day / weekend :-)

Stu

Good morning every one!
Stu-Great comments on the spin class question.
The only thing I would add, is that for anyone who lives where winters are tough, a spin class/ bike trainer session is definitely better than nothing . I think that some of the  "anti-spin" comments are from people who don't have to deal with snow/ice and single digit temps.
The winter bike training thread by Jorge, is a great way to improve bike strength during the winter.

I'll have to get a trainer next fall.  I haven't figured out how to fit spinning into my schedule or where to do it.  Something to think about...

Today is a rest day for me.  Tomorrow will be a run.  I've been very consistant with my running so far this year.  I seem to be able to go a bit faster.  I'm also going a bit longer.  I plan to increase my running intervals (I run/walk for now) after my next indoor tri on 2/19.  I haven't really included a long run in my schedule, yet. Someday...

I weighed in today for a 1.2 lb loss.  (had a better result at home a few days ago)  Slow loss is OK with me, but I'd like to average about 5lbs a month. 

Hi jugglers,

How's everyone's weekend going?

Yesterday we went for our weekly bike ride, and I got to try out my Garmin for the first time.  I'm absolutely loving it, and particularly liked the fact that I can get it to auto-pause when I stop.  That was particularly useful when my husband got a puncture!  We all got a little cool during the stop, but managed to warm up again on the giant hill just after...  The other thing I like is that it tracks elevation, so I can actually see the amount that we've climbed.

I'm going for a run this afternoon, so I'll try it out on the run setting and see how that goes.

I don't know if anyone is interested, but our local tri club is doing regular podcasts, which are aimed at people who want to learn more about triathlons.  I am featured in the February one talking about periodisation of my training.  The link is http://durhamtri.podbean.com//>
For anyone who hadn't already realised, I'm based in the north of England, so I hope you can understand the accent!!!

WhooHoo! I got on the bike today for my first workout in 2 weeks!
It was only 30 minutes, but I didn't want to push it with all the coughing I'm still doing. 

Good evening all!

Thanks Stu for all your input on the spinning and road riding. I really appreciate the thought you put into the response, and will take your opinion into account.  I do think once things warm up here I will cut back the spin class to once a week and then spend one day a week on the road for my bike workouts.

Had an opportunity yesterday to "Pay it Forward", which was pretty nice.  I volunteered for the indoor triathlon I have participated in, in the past.  I got to be an athletes timer, and followed them through their race.  It was great being on the volunteer side this time, but yearned to be a participant.  I think that means I'm "hooked".

So, today I made up for 2 off days.  Biked and swam and was able to make my Feb goals this week.  I was pretty pleased with that, but not pleased with my timed 12mile bike(50min on the stationary bike) and not pleased with my timed 15laps (16:40).  Oh well.  Hopefully those times will be better by April.

Hope everyone had a great week and here's to the one ahead!
-Yvette

Good Morning Jugglers!

Any Super Bowl (or as my father-in-law mistakenly typed the other day, Super Bowel) confessions to make to the group?  I'll start.  We went over to my in-laws to watch the game, which was good fun, but my system just can't handle the junk food as well as it once did, so I'm feeling kind of yucky this morning.  Hope you all managed better than I did.  My scale also reflected a less than stellar week of eating, registering a 202 this morning at official weigh in day, thus capping a bad food week for me, with more potholes to come this week.

On a more positive note (now that the confessional is complete), I have incorporated a little bit of StairMaster training into my routine this past week and I think it is helping a bit on my hill running, which has always been a weakness.  Anyone else ever try that?  It may have been I just felt more sprightly after a day of rest on Saturday, but I've decided to give it a go for the entire month.

Also, for the goals, if you keep track of your progress in your blog, I'll collect those and update our chart once each week on Monday.  Take a gander at my training page to see one approach (if you're not already doing so).  I find it is a helpful reminder for me to review and reflect on my progress (or lack of it sometimes!!).  Again, totally up to you. 

Hope the injuries are healing and the weather is turning.  I'm heading up north later this week to commiserate with our strong-in-spirit Northern jugglers.

A run (hopefully outside) and general workout are on tap for me today, how about you?

Stu

Superbowl confession: after a wonderful and fast 7 mi run and then 2 hours of singles tennis I gorged on a pile of nachos and later on a small bowl of spaghetti! Yeah, not exactly in my plan.
Today is also my rest day out of necessity since I have a long teaching day and if I'm still alive by tonight I may go to the gym, but probably will just recover.
My plan for Feb is to do two bike, swim, and run workouts per week but with tennis 6-8 times a week it's really tough and the weather isn't cooperating to bike to work more than 1 time a week. So, I need to take a hard look at my calendar and figure out when I can squeeze more in without a complete family meltdown. Ah, the juggling.
5 weeks until my 1st tri! I might as well say 4 since the last week will be a light week so I feel well rested.
Have a great Monday everyone!
Joanne

Oops I forgot my SuperBowl confession.  I made some evil dip and ate a bunch of it with pretzel thins(pretzel-like crackers).  The dip was a cream cheese type dip that you bake until bubbly.  It was bacon, cream cheese (I used the lower fat type ), half and half, bleu cheese crumbles.  Luckily I halved the recipe.

I also made some garlic rolls (similar to cinnamon rolls but with garlic butter).  I froze 2/3rds of the rolls prior to baking, but still managed to eat 2. 

I guess it could be worse, but I'll have to work hard to undo the damage.

Super Bowl Confession: I am primarily a vegetarian. But, if you put a plate of my husband's spare ribs in front of me, I revert to my carnivorous ways without a moments guilt! Last night he made them for my 8 year old, and I dug in. It happens about once every 2 or 3 months.

Today, I'm going to attempt a glorious return to running   It's been 2 weeks, and my cough is still bad. But, I have these VFF that have been crying out for some run time. (I bought them the day before I got sick.). We'll see how the attempt goes.

Thanks Stu for all your support.  I have a goal to incorporate strength training into my workout 3x a week.  I am only at once a week but my goal chart does not recognize that...says something like "you have not strength trained in the past four weeks"...I am not at goal but headed that way and its a bummer to see that.

Super Bowl Confession; Father Tri forgive me for I have sinned...

Since I was working for 12 hours on Sat., (I did mange to get a ride in with some friends Sat morning though) I had to get all my homework done on Sunday. When I decided to take a break and go swim I realized that I left my swim bag with both swimsuits in the car my husband had and he was 60 miles from home.  So no swim and some how that meant no run too! 

My confession?:??? lack of training and too many oreos?!  Doing my penance now visiting the restroom frequently.  Ugh this happens every week now so I will need to get to the docs.  Went to bed at midnight and 4:30 came early.  Thank goodness it was someone else's turn to drive today; I slept!  ??G?o?o?d? ?s?i?d?e?,? ?h?o?m?e?w?o?r?k???????? ?i?s? ?d?o?n?e? ?a?n?d? ??I? ?c?a?n? ?w?o?r?k?o?u?t? ?a?n?d? ?g?o? ?s?t?r?a?i?g?h?t? ?t?o? ?b?e??d? ?w?h?e?n? ??I? ?g?e?t? ?h?o?m?e? ?t?o?n?i?g?h?t?.

Wow!  Sounds like Super Bowl is a big opportunity for everyone to fall off the wagon!  Sadly we don't have such things here, so I've had a normal weekend...

This morning I went for a swim.  It landed up being quite a long one, although I took the pace pretty gently.  I did 2500m, which I think is further than I've ever done in a single session before.  I could feel it when I got out, but I didn't feel like I'd overdone it, just that I'd worked hard.  And I was really pleased that I did the whole thing in an hour.

Tonight I start night shift, so this afternoon I slept.  Managing my training is a little more challenging on nights, but I'm planning a cycle on the trainer tomorrow night, and hopefully the track session on Wednesday.

Rachel, 2500 is a good workout.  I probably won't improve my swim much since I have limited swim time.  I hope to join a local tri group this summer and get some lake swims in.

I'm happy to report that my timed 800 swim took 13:25, which is right between 1:40 and 1:41 min per 100yd pace.  So I'm aiming for 900yds for the 15 min swim at my next indoor tri. 

Oh and my triceps still hurt from ice chopping.  Whine, whine...

Andrea- That is a great pace for the swim! I'm not sure how much you need to improve it. If  your run or bike is weaker than that, then I would focus on those.