MJEWEN Spring 2013 Mentor Group - CLOSED (Page 16)

KenL: My hat is off to you for a 17 mile long run on a treadmill - seriously, that speaks volumes for both your level of physical fitness and mental fortitude!!

And, yes, I make it a point to weigh myself after every long run. Looking forward to seeing those numbers on the scale are what gets me through those last miles :-)

Hello all. Sounds like things are going well and I love reading about the running input it helps me out to see where I need to strive to be. I try to just run with the other people on the treadmill I just try to keep going with them and am improving my over all length of time running. My mile times are horrid and I am trying not to look at the actually mile time just the amount of time I have been running. Shopping for new running shoes I have puma 250 but they don't offer me enough padding for my Achilles so those will be set aside for biking days.

I looked at a few bikes on Saturday and am headed to a bike shop on Thursday to see what they can assist me with. I am not looking to buy a really expensive bike in the beginning. Can you guys guide me on what I should look for in a bike and what I should stay away from?

Hello all. Sounds like things are going well and I love reading about the running input it helps me out to see where I need to strive to be. I try to just run with the other people on the treadmill I just try to keep going with them and am improving my over all length of time running. My mile times are horrid and I am trying not to look at the actually mile time just the amount of time I have been running. Shopping for new running shoes I have puma 250 but they don't offer me enough padding for my Achilles so those will be set aside for biking days.

I looked at a few bikes on Saturday and am headed to a bike shop on Thursday to see what they can assist me with. I am not looking to buy a really expensive bike in the beginning. Can you guys guide me on what I should look for in a bike and what I should stay away from?

The Great Clermont Triathlon – the weather was overcast and mid 70s at race start. It was also very windy. It got worse as the race progressed.  I stayed at my brothers, about 45 minutes away from Clermont. Pre race … had a ½ an egg mcmuffin and a cup of coffee 2 hours before the race.  Got bike to transition area – no lights were on so it was a little hard to locate my area. But it’s great getting to the area before the crowds begin to arrive. Easy in, easy out… little stress. Waited for daylight to look at the buoys in the water for the visual and mental prep for the swim portion.

This race was also a qualification for the NCAA/USAT Collegiate National Championship, and a qualifier for the “Best in the US” US Amateur Triathlon Competition. There were about two hundred college kids and Amateur Triathletes there.

I took off in the third swim wave. The first was College Males, Second was College women. In my group was men over 50, Clydesdale, and military.  Water was cool it was a lake swim so it was walking out pretty much until chest level when we can begin to swim.  Felt ok swimming for the first third. It was difficult to sight because the buoys were spaced very far apart and it was so windy that there was a chop in the water. There were not so many kayaks in the water as I’m accustomed to so even using them so sight was not helpful.  About 500-600 yards into the swim we began to get passed buy the younger “red caps” in the 30-39 age group. I remember pausing for a moment and watched and was in awe of the speed in which they were swimming. It was effortless and they were making such good time. I was having problems with my goggles, they kept fogging up, it’s been a problem I’ve been having for a month or so now. The seal is good, but I have to keep loosening them and clearing fog out of them so I can see.  So the last two thirds of the swim were awkward for me, it’s not the physical aspect, it was the mental part because when I got down to it and focused on my breathing and stroke everything got back to normal.  I did some back stroke for a while and took my goggles off and was able to sight much better, felt that I was swimming better with no goggles for a while but put them back down and just got on with it.

Transition was slow for me. Wetsuit came off fine and got to the bike, but there was grass and stuff stuck to my feet and I had to spend way too much time cleaning my feet off before I got my shoes on. I put my arm warmers on and I wasn’t dried off enough for them to go on smoothly, so there was another delay.

The bike course. Wow. I drove the course the day before and knew and saw the hills. Mentally, I knew what the course looked like. Physically…… well, I was able to stay on the bike for all the hills, and effectively change gears (except one time)  to remain on the bike albeit at a snails pace up most of the hills. I have to go back there and ride more hills. It was an experience that I can definitely get better at.  Doing 35 mph down hill makes up for going up a hill at 4 mph. It was scary fast sometimes and thankfully my legs are not tight this morning as I write this. I feel pretty good actually. The one time I did not effectively change gears was going up a hill towards a small bridge. I did the same thing a few weeks ago on one of my long rides… I changed from big ring to small ring at the same time changing gears and the chain bound up and locked up casing me to flip over- back wheel over my head. I was able to put my left hand out the absorb the shock and roll on my shoulder (all the while my feet are still clipped in the pedals) and end up on my back and then unclip the pedals, get up, fix the chain and continue on all in less than two minutes. – good thing for years of martial arts training and learning how to properly fall and roll to absorb the ground. I have a bruised palm and a little road rash on the knee as a result  AND the important lesson of not getting excited and taking time to change gears. The last third of the ride was relatively not hilly but the wind had picked up and was really difficult to ride in, being pushed back and forth and the headwind was brutal.

I posted the data from my garmin in to my training logs, but on the bike portion, I pushed a wrong button at one time, so the bike data is a little skewed- I missed about 4 miles after mile 1.04.  I took some photos the day before from the bike portion along the lake.  I’ll have some more when my sister in law sends them to me.

This is about as close as I can to a video similar... BUT I was going much slower that this kid. and It wasn't a bump in the road, it was just a flip over when my chain got bound up.

<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Y6D3o12afm8" frameborder="0" width="420" height="315">

Swimming-  I don't know if it was the difference in water temp and outside temp and my body tempo being different... but I could not see out of the goggles after 100 yards. I had to stop and lift the goggles quite often.  I will try to find a spray or some product that will eliminate the fog- saliva is not working very well.  One thing I noticed is that I didn't feel as confident in the swim as I have in the past. Probably because I haven't been doing any open water swimming lately.

Swim Paddles... I've used them very briefly - they train your hands for entry into the water the "catch." You should only put one finger in the paddle so that if the hand entry into the pool is incorrect the paddle will fall off otherwise you may develop a bad hand entry. Pulling with the paddles give great speed, but be careful with the potential for overworking the shoulders. 

What I do are shoulder rotation exercises with relatively light weights or resistance bands along with negative pull ups or doing lats pull downs- again, with lighter weights for full contraction of the muscle.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/Y6D3o12afm8

BETTER---

KenL - GLad everything worked out with your glute injury and you were able to get your run in.  I hate missing any workouts but having to miss a long run or long ride really is a downer.

Emily - Don't worry about your times.  Just keep running and I promise your times will go down.  When I race the number 1 person I want to beat is myself.  I loving beating my old times. 

Mike gave you good advice on bike shopping.  Just go to as many bike shops as you can and ask a lot of questions.  An entry level road bike is a very good bike to start doing tri's with.

Terry - Wow! Sounds like you had an exciting race with the crash and all.  Congrats on finishing after that.  I don't know what to tell you with the goggles because spit always works for me and it sounds like you've already tried that.  Are the goggles old?  I've found the older they get the quicker they fog up.

I ran 7.5 miles this morning and tomorrow is a rest day.  I really need a rest day because last week was a big jump in overall training time for me and my legs are feeling right now.

Terry - I agree with Emile.  I am a google fogger.  Always have been.  Spit doesn't work and only serves to wash off the anti-fog coating a little quicker when you are rubbing it in.  Those anti-fog sprays will work sometimes but more often than not, they don't.  I'll go through 4 pair of goggles to my wife's one.  I talked with my coach last year and his suggestion is to have a new or almost new pair of race googles.  This pair is only for races.  That way the coating is new.  Then use your old pair at the pool or wherever you swim.

I still can't fathom 17 miles on a treadmill.  I think I would go crazy.  I'm impressed!!!

I posted two photos- swim start and my brother and I (in my foggy goggles) from Sunday in Clermont.

I got a new pair of goggles today and they seemed to work out well in the pool.

KenH - Good to hear from you.  Hope things are going well.

Terry - Thanks for the pics.  How do you put pics in your album?  I'm not very computer savy.  Is it very hard?

I ran 7 miles this morning and I'm hoping to swim this afternoon, but may have to cancel the swim due to shoulder being sore.  I played catch with my daughter Monday afternoon and I guess I over did it and my shoulder is hurting pretty bad.

Mike,

Thanks for the bike advice it is exactly what I needed to know and I  downloaded it to my phone so I can refer to it when we are there.  I just have no clue when it comes to purchasing a bike and I don't want to end up with something more/less than what I need. The CFO of the house(aka the spouse) is wanting to go moderate until I figure out that this is something that I am going to be doing for a long time or just my 43 year old mid life crisis. I don't blame him at all. I appreciate all of the input all of you are wonderful. As for Goggles the anti fog and mirror ones are not my favorite they have a tendency to get eaten by the chlorine from the pool. I usually just get basic clear goggles by speedo those seem to last the longest. Most folks don't take them out of the package and fit them to their face before purchasing. You hold them up to your face and push in they should fit tight but not uncomfortable and stay in place for a few. Remember to wash them off with tap water when you are done that way you can remove a lot of the chlorine from them. Next question what is it meant by cadence for biking? 

hey, Emile... to put photos in your album- go to the bottom of the text panel and click on "Album." once there just follow instructions to create and album. After you've created it.... just upload photo from where it's saved.  easy peasy....

hope all is well with everyone.... I just got off a "telephone conference call" with team up for Autism Speaks. I'm doing some fundraising for Autism at the NYC tri event. It was nice listening to everyone during the call, but not as nice or knowledgeable as as you guys.  I was thinking about the whole doing it alone training for triathlon thing and was just very appreciative to have people like yourselves to talk about things and get some feedback.  You guys help keep me motivated me when my body feels like jello after a long run or I don't feel like swimming biking. Or if work seems to be taking way to much effort. It's always nice to know that there are others going through the same trials and tribulations.

I did a 4 mile recovery run this morning at the beach.....

Terry - Thanks for the instructions on how to put photo's in the album.  Sounds easy enough. 

Very cool about doing some fund raising for Autism!  We have a couple of Autistic children at my school that I've really enjoyed working with.

Like you I've enjoyed the mentor group.  I was a little hesitant about joining one because I just didn't think it would be very beneficial.  But I've really enjoyed being able to discuss training and sharing different ideas with the members of this group.

Mike - I was reading the thread on Maltodextrin and noticed your recipe.  Do you use this during longer events as your only nutrition on the bike?  Last year during my 70.3 I took Shotbloks with water and also sipped on some gatorade.  It worked well during my training rides but did give me some stomach problems during the race.  So I'm looking to switch up my nutrition plan this year and if I could have all my nutrition and hydration in the same bottle that would really simplify things.

I skipped my Wed. swim this week due to a sore shoulder from playing catch with my daughter on Monday.  Went to the pool this morning and got in a short swim to see how it would feel.  It felt fine in the pool but is a little sore now.  Plan on getting an hour on the trainer later today.

I have put about 8 hours on mine and it has all been on the trainer but I can say my butt is pretty sore.  This saddle puts different pressure on my sit bones than my old saddle I'm use to on my road bike.  I've been told it takes about a month to get your sit bones use to this saddle.  Also, I know the trainer is much rougher on your rear end then riding outside or at least it has always been for me.  Although the good thing I have not gone numb 1 time on this saddle.  I'm intested to hear your report on the saddle after your next couple of rides.