Ernesto's group (5th season) - OPEN (Page 16)

Awesome job! Congrats!

Strava has been running an 8k challenge over the last week. Yesterday morning I had a 10 miler scheduled. I was pretty pumped, at the midpoint I picked up the pace and ran the last 5 in 37 minutes (7:24/mile). Thinking if I did a standalone 8k I could get down to 7:15 or below?

Hey Mitch are you coming up to Tawas next month? If you are PM me and I will give you my contact info.

I originally planned on it. Between op tempo at work and op temp with family HIM training started adding more stress than I would have liked. With travel plans I didn't have good way to train like I wanted so I decided to put it on hold for a year. Just focusing on the HM in detroit this fall.

Definitely was looking forward to the HIM and meeting you. Hopefully will do it next year.

It's a tough balance between work family and tri, especially as the kids get older. I look forward to next year.

Agreed on the kid's part, except part of my dilemna is the gap in ages between my middle and youngest. My girls are 14, 11 and 3. The 11 is very active (sports, etc.). The 14 yr old is bookish and shy. The 3 year old is assertive, aggressive, outspoken, unbashful, etc. We're starting her in a U4 soccer this fall. She is definitely a handful. Next year may have less family trips. Work will always be work. Sometimes its hard to except that we are not superman or superwoman.

Hi rgarcia1501,

Great job on completing your first HIM. Swimming does not come easy for alot of us. In most of my races, I typically come in the last 10% (in my AG) in my swimming. The key is continue to get comfortable with the water in both swimming and Open Water. I find that swimming 3x or more per week is the key (each time about 2000meter or more).

Once again, congrats on completing your first HIM. Once you do more HIM and refine your training, you will enjoy HIM more and decide if you want to try a IM distance.

We are on the back side of child rearing, with the oldest going to college in two weeks. Leaving a 16 year old who does tri's, and the 14 and 12 year olds. All are into sports and active and rarely miss a race, except the long one's. The 16 year old is giving up volleyball to run cross country, so she has been running a lot this summer. Once they are all old enough to be independent, it changes the family dynamic and frees me up, except during their seasons, then we are on chase, plus I coach U14 soccer. Anyways its always a balance.

I just signed my 6th grader up for her first 5K. One of the local races in late September is offering a Middle School Challenge where middle schoolers can run the 5K for $5. I'm going to pace her and can't wait. We have about 8 weeks. We ran 1.5 miles last week and am working on a plan for training. I'll take any input from our illustrious peanut gallery.

For background, she is an active kid, played soccer in srping in fall the last 6 years. Softball in the summer the last 2 years. Track camp for a week in the summer the last 2 years. No real endurance training. She can comfortably run a mile in the 10 min range without too much labored breathing. She cramps a bit when running and suspect it may be cause she doesn't hydrate during the day as well as she should.

Was thinking of the folllowing plan:

http://running.about.com/od/racetraining/a/first5k.htm

That is great she decided to run a 5k. All of mine have and I get mixed results depending on when they do it. They have never trained for racing, because they are all involved in sports and so they have all been in good shape. My biggest thing is making it fun and making sure they see a reward. You youngest daughter would run them because we would let her have Mountain Dew after the race. Daughter #2 runs because she likes to run. My oldest daughter only ran when she would get extra credit in school. the oldest is now having the freshman 15 panic, because she will not be in a sport for the first time since she was 4, so I will have to see how that translates into exercising in about 2 weeks when we drop her off. My son is hot and cold, sometimes he really wants to do it others he doesn't. The middle 2 girls now run them because they like to run them. With this distance I encourage them to finish and not walk, even if they are running really slow.
Anyways its great to see she is following Dad's example. They are always watching. They may be making fun of you and your funny clothes and weird ideas, but they are always watching.

Yes, she is mortified by my compression socks. She is pretty competitive so leaving it up to her a bit on distances. Tempering her if needed. She would rather focus on shorter distances but wife and I told her that if she wants to run track she needs to run cross country too. Told her she can't just run three months of the year and expect to be successful. So fall cross country and spring track. At least this way I can get her to begin running as a lifestyle and she might grow into liking longer distances. She is a sprinter for sure. One of the smallest kids on the softball field but nearly always the fastest base runner. Has a high pain tolerance that I'm interested to see how it applies to running once she gets comfortable.

We tried getting our oldest to be a runner - but for now its like putting a square peg in a round hole. I'm putting her on a 5k plan to ease her into running with no pressure to race. Just a fitness oriented plan. At least she is focused in a healthy way on her weight, etc.

My little one (3) is in swim lessons already. She quickly is learning how to kick a soccer ball and trap it when the ball is passed to her. Teaching her to dribble. She spent the spring watching her sister play soccer and is excited about people sheering for her. She starts soccer this fall in a U4 league. She will be fun to watch.

Got to love kids!

does anyone have any good resources/guidance that will help improve speed during freestyle? I am considerably slower this year than last year. i have swam alot less due to multiple issues. i just had a session with the coach for our local masters swim club. she gave me some good instruction, and said she thought my speed will increase again with just more time in the pool. do you think that is true? i have a difficult time getting to the pool for masters swim. also, our coaches give very little, if any, correction or guidance during our sessions. it is good to swim with others - but i am with other women my age who are also slow. are there more efficient approaches to improving swimming? has anyone been to a swim camp or taken total immersion swim course?

Time in the water it crucial. If the coach's in the master's group aren't helping, perhaps you should look for another group, if possible. The other alternative, is corner one of the faster swimmers and see if they will help you outside of the group.

Been a while since I posted here but have been lurking. Summer has been a lost one for me. My heel injury never quite got straight. Rest, PT and X-rays and a MRI later and I have been diagnosed with a large bone spur in my heel. Next steps are unclear but I have a surgical consult with an orthopedist next month. Have had limited running and have put my BQ dreams on hold.

Hope you are all well.

Joe- Ouch, but isn't that consistent with the rest of your year.
I am well, dropped oldest off at MSU this weekend, she is talking law school, I suggested medical school My HIM is next weekend, daughter #2 is doing sprint same day.

I want to go sub 6 hours. Last year I was 6:15, and my swim was a catastrophe. I spent most of my swim time this summer working on spotting, which was my biggest problem last year. I swam like a pinball! It was a difficult year to swim, we have had a cold summer and a lot of rain. Lake Huron has been very rough 3-4 ft waves every day. I did an Olympic in the beginning of the month and saw improvement in my swim, although, I still had some issues with swimming straight. I did a lot of bike work over the winter and improved my running over distance, so I think it is an obtainable goal, even if I botch the swim again.
Official breakdown:
Finish: Happy, some disappointment.
Sub 6:15: Happy, but not what I want
Sub 6:00: Oh happy day!

My oldest is enjoying college so far. Her summer in Guatemala really set her on fire! Our friend works as an interpreter for USAID and her office has 10 attorney's who work on women's rights. She saw that a law degree can open doors she never realized.

Edited by JBacarella 2013-08-28 8:17 AM

Hey Team. Sorry to hear about the bone spur, Joe. To be succinct, injuries suck.

Gabe - Nice HM...espcecially ag=fter a long ride the day before.

Jim - Good luck on the HIM, wish I was racing it with you.

I've been enjoying "just" running. Have good days and bad days. Today was a tough day. Supposed to be 3x2 miles at 10K pace. But humidity, head wind, and lingering effect of running a HM on Sunday for a Strava Challenge all contributed to tough morning. The most fun I've been having is running with my 11 year old. we're doing a 5k at the end of September and then another one in early Oct. The Oct one is a Halloween run so we are going full bore with Zombie make-up. I have my HM in mid-Oct and then possibly the 10k / 5k combo at the end of November.

Wife is almost healed fully. Big nasty scar but she is back doing power yoga. Lawsuit to be initiated.

I basically stopped running for 2 months thinking that I needed to rest my heel.. Knowing that I have a spur and not a fracture, I am planning on pacing my wife to her first sub 2:00:00 HM. I will have three weeks of running of slight discomfort under my belt so it is a dicey proposition to begin with, but WTF, I already signed up for the race anyway. I have run 4 days in a row with longest at 6M. Plan on doing an 8 miler, a 10 miler and then the race. If I can hold 8:15 for 6M, I should be able to pace her accordingly.

Keep at it Jim. The difference maker in the HIM is always the run. Do no harm on the swim, pass the pack on the bike and don't lose ground on the run. Most of the pack lose it on the run so just holding on is important. My best races have always involved gaining substantial ground on the run, but there are times after a lousy swim that I feel the need to pound the bike. Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much.

Your girls sound great. Scares the crap out of me that the oldest becomes a teenager this year.

It was scary when our oldest became a teenager, but I have to be honest, they have been the best years. You know when they hit the age when they can actually carry a conversation, its like that but a lot cooler. Now they like to do some of the same things we like to, and some of the things we put off until they got older. This Summer they family vacation was a trip to WV to Whitewater raft, rock climb and rappelling.
Thanks for the advice on the half. I found at that Oly that I need longer bike and run courses to make up for my poor swimming.

Mitch, I wish you could make it up for the HIM, too. It is a fun race and great location, I think that Scott is going to race it this year. His Dad lives on the bike course, so it is easy for him to come up and race.

I've missed you all.

Quick update:
After marathon in Feb, I have concentrated on speed and strength on bike. Sep 16 I can register for Boston! Then I'll add running back and drop the bike.

Went back to full-time work (thank you Gabe for the vibes) and I love my job. Selling my condo and buying a house, so moving in about 3 weeks. I will be closer to Town Lake and the running groups, which will be great for marathon training.

Jim, congrats on your Oly podium and enjoy your HIM this weekend!
Gabe, you are a machine. Congrats on the Vineman PR!
Joe, I love the finisher picture with your girls. May I use that on my Facebook?
Mitch, stay out of the DOO DOO.

To all the new people that I haven't met, you are amazing. First races, podium finishes, overcoming injuries and obstacles. Congratulations to you.