MJEWEN Summer 2013 Mentor Group - OPEN (Page 16)

Hey Crissy,

In case you don't already know about this one, this is an oly distance tri out at Branched Oak that is coming up:
http://ymcalincoln.org/locations/downtown/lincolnytri.htm

I just realized my comment on paleo could be misinterpreted. I wasn't attacking paleo. No cavemen were harmed in the writing of my forum post

I was trying to say that when someone says "paleo diet is good, because its how man used to eat" then I instantly wonder why they do not pick a different era, such as maybe the early 1900's or something like that. Maybe what people were eating at the dawn of the printing press is good for brain power? I do understand the actual reasoning behind paleo and some of the evidence that its actually a good thing, so I'm not questioning the substance just the shallow marketing message that sometimes reverberates with some people

Crissy...
#1 I like Mike's response.... I love ice cream and good beer, especially the summer brews.... nothing like grilling summer veggies a good steak and and cold beers..... My wife, and her mother who lives with us, are vegetarians... my son is pretty much a vegetarian, he eats seafood and and chicken. I am the lone carnivore in the house (more for me ). I've never really dieted before, I just watch what I eat. I tried a low carb diet last year after I had long talks with a friend who was getting over cancer. we had long talks about the body, fuel and all kinds of things like that. I began reading and talking to people and Paleo/Ketogenic, to me, are kind of similar. I like the way i feel when I eat that way. BUT, I'm not going to become really "righteous" over the diet thing.

#2 - BT membership - I've been a Bronze member for a month or two. I haven't really had the time to look into all the different programs.

#3 Off season - In Florida there isn't an off season. Our summers are really hot and humid. I like to race in the winter and spring. I'll usually take it easy in the summer and begin training for the winter.

Good luck on your super sprint.



Ken, I understood exactly the "paleo comment."

Thanks for the feedback guys. By diet, I didn't specifically mean weight loss diet, but a diet plan - like the Paleo diet Ken & Terry were discussing. Essentially a nutrient overhaul from the typical American diet (perhaps no red meat, no refined sugars, etc). Glad to hear you guys are ice cream and beer lovers too. I sure ate my share of pizza and beer this weekend. I try and make smart choices, but I eat more than my fair share of sugar laden treats!

Ken - I did see that triathlon. I'm not sure how I would hold up to the distance of an oly - primarily the swim. Mentally that is really far and I haven't done the training for that distance this year. Maybe next year. :-) I have an adventure race planned in September (mentally much easier than a triathlon), so at least something is on my calendar. I don't know, maybe I'll step up my game these next 4 weeks and just go for it.

Guys sorry I haven't kept up lately. I will have to go back and read all the missed posts.

I've been sitting around feeling sorry for myself the last week or so. On the 29th I went on my scheduled long run which was 10mi. I had a pretty good run and felt pretty strong the entire time. Although later that day the ball of my foot started hurting pretty good on top of that I've been dealing with a big toe issue on the same foot for a couple of weeks. I decided to take several days off and replaced some of my runs with some aqua jogging. I decided to go out and run yesterday and ran 7mi. Felt pretty good until about the last 10min of my run the ball of my foot started burning pretty good and then the rest of the day I had some discomfort in my foot. I've diagnosed my self with one of two things with metatarsalgia or a stress fracture. Although I keep telling myself it isn't a stress fracture due to very little pain during run. Although my race is coming up on 9/21 and training has been going so well and know I'm worried I will have to scratch. I've been tossing around in my mind my options of replacing running with aqua jogging or elliptical for several weeks or just trying to run through it. Sorry for the whining I'm just pretty depressed right now.

Emile,

Sounds like you're doing the smart thing and getting the rest you need with a bit of cross-training. There is lots of time before 9/21 still so hopefully it'll get better in time. Even if you end up missing the race, at least it sounds like you'll be able to race again and its just a temporary problem. I get the impression you enjoy the entire process of training and racing so I think you'll bounce back strong either way.

Great post Ken. Endurance nutrition is something that currently mystifies me. I need to read more articles like the one you recommended I guess.

I do follow a loose diet strategy. It is based on calories per day and my wife and I eat a whole lot of fresh vegetables. As far as race nutrition I am experimenting. I am currently trying to figure out who long before a race I can eat. 3.5 hours leaves me with stomach cramps about 25 minutes into a run.

I have a silver membership. I am new to the sport so I wanted access to all of the training plans. I believe that the more I am able to read the better I will be in the long run.

I don't really have an off season. Historically I would just change sports. We get an average of 100 inches of snow every year. I cross country and downhill ski. I'm not sure how things will work out this year. Over the winter I plan on extending my running distance from 10K to 13.1 miles. I do not like running on a track. I especially do not like running on really short indoor tracks. So, I will either have to adapt to running on a treadmill or run in the snow and ice.

Dear Emile,
1- no scratching allowed
2-stay positive
3-loosen your shoe to relieve pressure (sage advice given to me last year by a very wise and positive person ((you)))
4-take a few days off.
5- no scratching......

That is all

Your friend
tmoons

Ken and Terry thank you!

Ken your post really hit home! After reading it I felt like one of my old coaches was telling me to pull my self up by my boot straps. Instead of feeling sorry for myself stay positive and face the problem head on.

Again thank you guys. I really needed to vent to somebody about my situation and I know my wife doesn't want to hear about it to much. She thinks I do things to the extreme anyways and anytime I complain about injuries to much she tells me I'm crazy for not resting.

I did go out and run this morning. I was scheduled to run 60min but decided to run about half of that and ran for 35min. I've always ran in 3/4 length orthotics but I had a brand new pair of full length orthotics in my closest so I decided to give them a try and added some metatarsal pads to them. My run actually felt pretty good this morning and so far my feet aren't bothering me to much after the run. I'm going to try and cut back this week and next week is a scheduled cut back week before my last big push for my race. So maybe the next two weeks with a reduced load will help me work through this problem.

Hello everyone! I have been taking it easy and just really enjoying getting out for rides and runs when I can, not because I HAVE to. I do sort of miss swimming though, as I haven't taken the time to get out to lake since my tri, and my gym doesn't have a pool. I kinda got out of habit of going to local rec center. I only have a few more days before I return to work full time again.
Crissy, I don't follow a diet plan either. I do try to watch what I eat and I feel I eat way better than most of the people I know. We have a garden and I get produce from a produce co-op every other week all year long, so that really helps us to implement fruits and veggies into our meals all the time. I probably eat way too many carbs, but I love them and know I could not live without them. I, too, enjoy sweet treats all too often. I guess I feel that's why I workout, so that I can enjoy some foods that really are not that healthy for me.
Ken, at one point I had considered doing that Oly in Lincoln, but I am like Crissy, I have not trained for it and now that football season has started for my older two boys and my hubby (as he is assistant coaching the high school linemen this year), I don't think I have enough time or energy to do it all. I would rather train for it next year than rush into it this year. I heard there is one in Yankton in the late summer or early fall, maybe I might do that one next year.
I am doing a mini-Tryathlon with some gals the end of this month. I have done this little "try-athlon" for the last 9 years of so, and my goal is to always try to get someone new to join me. I get a group to sign up with me and we all do the same heat and take pictures and all that. It is not timed and is women only, so it is very newbie friendly. It is more like a good workout, but I enjoy it. anyway. This year two of my sisters are planning to do it again and a few other friends, and I do have one friend that is new, so it should be fun. I am kinda competitive, so I have to remind myself that it is a "fun" event and just enjoy it.
Emile, I hope your foot is better and heals fast. I have had some pain in my ankle as well, and I think some of my issues prior to my surgery are returning, which bums me out. Although I hold out hope it is just because it is summer and I am barefoot more and maybe had overtrained it for the tris. Which is another reason why I am sorta just running and riding occasionally.

Great to hear everyone's advice and opinions on nutrition. I will contribute that taking a multivitamin and reducing the amount of red meat I consume has helped me shed a few pounds and increase my energy levels. I also try to avoid processed foods. The refined foods take less energy to digest and therefore have a greater net calorie value. For example, 100 calories of fruit might burn 50 calories to digest whereas 100 calories of chips may only take 10 calories to digest. While I do not have a specific plan, my vegetable and fruit intake is large and I feel better because of it. It is worth noting that I still eat my fair share of junk food.

The biggest nutritional advice I can give is recovery. I use different products and lately have loved muscle milk light in a blender with mixed berries. I also use whey but it is always a mixture of a protein/fruit/carb. Sometimes a bar of some kind. I shooe for 15-20 grams of protein with 60-80 grams of carbohydrates. I believe my recovery nutrition has had a huge benefit on my performance gains.

I was just starting to look over some of the posts I missed and I ran across Terry's. WOW!!WOW!!WOW!!! YOU ARE Da'MAN!! 2 full Iron Mans, 1 full Aquabike, 3 100 mile rides, 1 200 mile ride, a full marathon, 5k ows, and several other races in less than a years time!!! Again you Da'Man! I'm bowing down to you as I write this.

I love hearing everyone's nutrition ideas. I do make a breakfast bar that everyone in the family enjoys and I always mix up the ingredients. A local grocery store (Hy-Vee for us Midwesterners) put this out about 2 years ago. I'll share it with you guys.
http://www.hy-vee.com/meal-solutions/recipes/Fit-For-You-Bars-R7843...

Emile - sorry to hear about your foot. Dang the luck. Take it easy. Buy some Hoka shoes. More biking, less running. I hear water jogging is all the rage this time of year. And your wife told you so. :-P

Denise- I try to get people to try a triathlon to. I almost have a gal talked into it. Was hoping to get someone to do the race with me Sunday as they have a super, super short distance of 150M swim, 4 mile bike, 1 mile run along with the super sprint that I'm doing. I do the same thing with adventure racing. I've gotten a few people into it, and am pretty happy about that. Speaking of which - you all should do one!!

Denise I hope your ankle starts feeling better. I know your ankle injury is a lot different then what I have dealt with in the past. I know you said you had surgery on it. Although I had really good luck with using KT tape on my ankle injury not sure if it would help you with your problem or not.

Crissy I actually have a pair of Hoka's I've been running in. Your bar recipe looks really good. I may have to try and make a batch.

Story: I am 32 yrs old and have been married for 10 years. I have 2 kids 7 and 5. I was in the Marine Corps and have done some competitive bodybuilding. I stopped that 2 years ago because of burnout. I am currently training 4-5 days a week doing a mix of run/bike /swim. I haven't competed in a tri yet but plan to in the spring 2014. I am very new to the sport, but am above average on swim/bike but have a hard time running. I weigh about 195 so running fast does not come easy. I want to do a sprint and an Olympic tri.

Hi Helton. Welcome to the group. Sounds like you are already ready for a tri. Running is my weakest part of the race. If you happen to look at my race reports you will see that my rankings in the run are far below that of swimming and running - so we have that in common. I finally started working on improving my running - I've really slacked off in that area this past year.

What part of the US are you blessed to live in? Three of us are in Nebraska in this group - what are the odds?

Any ideas on a training plan you want to follow? I looked at a lot this spring and found one I liked online (free). I've completed that and now need to figure out a plan for the off season.

Good morning,

Yesterday I received more detailed instructions for my first trathlon and I have some questions.

How can I tell if my helmet meet or exceed accredited safety standards?

It looks like there is a bib number and a bike number. Do they usually provide everything you need to fasten them on? I'm more concerned with the bike number because I have never seen one before. I have an extra set of safety pins for the other one.

This is prety exciting. My first triathlon is two weeks away.

Thanks,

Donald

Josh, welcome to our group!

Some of the members were in my previous group and wanted to continue and some are new to this group. We have a good mix of real new triathletes and a few more experienced. The biggest benefits of a group like ours is support from others who understand your questions and concerns. I encourage you to read thru the previous posts and ask any questions you may have.

Don, I would suggest getting a race belt. A race belt is an elastic belt that you attach your race number to via various techniques. I have a Fuel Belt race belt and it uses short elastic cords with spring loaded "stoppers" to keep the number attached. You typically only need to wear your race number during the run so in T2 I grab my belt and put it on when leaving the transition area. I can maybe add a picture later. The bike number is usually two sided with adhesive to join after folding it over. I try to put on it my seat post if I can otherwise on my top tube. Again maybe I can add a pic.

I'm in Milwaukee today for USAT Nationals tomorrow (Sat). We drove from Rochester on Thu night about a 4 hour drive. Our hotle had a free breakfast and there were lot's of triathletes chowing down. Packet pickup and bike check-in are later today so maybe I can get some pics for Don and post them soon.

Helton welcome to the group!

On your helmet I think you have to check the sticker inside the helmet. Although I wouldn't worry about it. I've never been to one that they went around checking helmets. As long as you got a helmet I would say your good to go. The bike number should be a sticker and they should have instructions on where they want you to put it. I have always attached it to the seat post but I have seen many put it on their top tube. The bib I always attach it to a race belt. If you have a race belt just hang it on your bike and when you get into T1 just put it around your waist before getting on the bike.

When I walked outside today to head to the lake for an ows it was quite a bit cooler than normal. So I decided I might break out the wetsuit this morning because I really need to get some swims in with it before my 9/21 race. I was planning on swimming 1.2 miles today but cut the swim short at 1500 yards due to I was BURNING UP in the wetsuit. Although my swim time was really good for me I avg 1:57. Anything under 2:00min avg is very good for me. So I was pretty pleased!

Mike good luck tomorrow!

Yes, Mike... good luck tomorrow.... YOU DA MAN!!!

Emile, sometimes you can let a little water in the wetsuit through the neck to cool down a bit..... I "burn up" in the wet suit also from time to time.
It's still difficult to use it on the HIM distance because of that particular reason. Even with the extra buoyancy it provides, there is a corresponding overheating problem....letting water in relieves the problem for a bit....

Fuel/race belts are really good, to have. I agree with Mike… Simple is always better. Avoid pins. I put the belt on in T1 with the number on the back and turn it around at T2.... It's just easier for me that way, one less thing to remember later on.

Welcome Josh….
I know it's been said before, but.....triathlons are addictive..... welcome to the group.

There was a question about the transition area a week or so ago... I posted a few photos from last weeks Tri and included is one of my bike (cannondale with orange swim cap and goggles on ground) so you can see I place my helmet on my bike shoes, inside my shoes are sunglasses, a gel, race belt, Heart rate monitor. Behind, that in a bag (because it was raining) are my running shoes- inside them are a gel and a head-sweat hat. I put my helmet on my shoes so that it its the first thing I have to deal with... Put it on and fasten it immediately, then put on my race/fuel belt then the bike shoes then then run out of transition and eat the fuel gel on the way out.
This is just the way I do it... it works for me.... the only correct way is what works for you, and it is usually developed by trial and error .....

Crissy, I've already printed out your recipie.... will try it out this weekend.

Good luck Mike!

Thanks everyone for your answers. Now I get to purchase a new piece of equipment. Oh yea! I found pictures of the race belt and of the number on some bikes. I had never heard of a race belt before. I had planned on barely stopping after my bike. I guess I can still do that.

Do you guys swim barefoot or do you wear aqua socks or diving boots? The area they are having us swim has a lot of rocks. I don't run or walk very well on rocks.

Thanks,

Don

Don race belts are very cheap. I think I bought mine for about $5 or $6. I swim barefoot but if it is a long walk down to the water I wear a real cheap pair of flip flops down to the water and take them off and leave them on the bank right before my swim wave takes off. Good luck with your race this weekend!

Terry I will have to try opening up my wetsuit and letting some water in. Although I don't think I will have to worry about it during the race I did the same race last year and I was shivering before the race and it took me about 5min into the swim to warm up. I think the water temp was about 75 race morning. I know I'm a big wuss when it comes to cold water.

Name: Zach/TheNewBlood

Story: Considering that I am only 15 years old, my story isn't that interesting or long. I made it my personal goal a year ago to become the best I can be at my sports. Even if it meant slaving summer days putting miles in for swimming and running. I am a high school Cross Country runner, swimmer, and track and field runner as well. After thinking about triathlons for a while I decided to get motivated. I looked on the forums here to look at success stories and was inspired. Even though I am not that old, I have some big goals I wish to achieve. But with a lack of money it is hard to compete and prepare for this sport. Seeing that it costs a lot of money for gear and races. So I saved up all christmas, birthday, and allowance money to buy my first triathlon (soon!), tri-top and bottom, and a new bike! I participated in a half-marathon when I was 14 and thought it was a lot of fun. For my first half-marathon, One hour and fourty two minutes was great for me. And ever since then, I have a love to compete and race.

Family Status: I have a girlfriend! And parents, and a little brother.

Current Training: Swim club team everyday, running afterwards. With biking and weight lifting alternating each day.

This years races: MY FIRST TRIATHLON! In two weeks time, Buffalo Sprint Triathlon

Goals for 2013: Do the best I can, and get hooked on the sport.

Thanks guys!

-Zach

Name: Zach/TheNewBlood

Story: Considering that I am only 15 years old, my story isn't that interesting or long. I made it my personal goal a year ago to become the best I can be at my sports. Even if it meant slaving summer days putting miles in for swimming and running. I am a high school Cross Country runner, swimmer, and track and field runner as well. After thinking about triathlons for a while I decided to get motivated. I looked on the forums here to look at success stories and was inspired. Even though I am not that old, I have some big goals I wish to achieve. But with a lack of money it is hard to compete and prepare for this sport. Seeing that it costs a lot of money for gear and races. So I saved up all christmas, birthday, and allowance money to buy my first triathlon (soon!), tri-top and bottom, and a new bike! I participated in a half-marathon when I was 14 and thought it was a lot of fun. For my first half-marathon, One hour and fourty two minutes was great for me. And ever since then, I have a love to compete and race.

Family Status: I have a girlfriend! And parents, and a little brother.

Current Training: Swim club team everyday, running afterwards. With biking and weight lifting alternating each day.

This years races: MY FIRST TRIATHLON! In two weeks time, Buffalo Sprint Triathlon

Goals for 2013: Do the best I can, and get hooked on the sport.

Thanks guys!

-Zach