Fred D's triathlon training group CLOSED (Page 17)

Best thing I ever did last month was go to an allergist.  It use to be that I could go no where without ensuring I had kleenex at all times of the year.  I finally got tired if it.  Over the counter meds were like sugar pills.  Useless.  Now, with pollen counts through the roof (plus my pets that I am allergic to) I have zero issues.  I rarely blow my nose anymore.  I do still get itchy eyes a bit from time to time this week but regular eye drops work for that.  If you can't get over the counter meds to work I highly recommend going to a specialist. 

Do you guys wear socks when you ride?

I've been using Shimano TR-51 tri shoes for the past 18 months, and have never used socks with them.  They can get a little funky, so I do have to wash them out about once a week, sometimes after every ride.  Usually consists of just rinsing them out with a hose and letting them dry, or sometimes adding a small amount of laundry detergent, shaking them around in a bucket of water, then rinsing and drying.

Well...turns out that has caused the carbon soles of my shoes to start coming unglued.  I can see both heels are starting to separate.  These shoes I bought are super tight fitting.  I kind of like them that way, and I can't really use socks with them, otherwise they'd be too tight.

So I'm in the market for a new pair of shoes.  I'll glue the sole back on the shimanos and keep them as a back up for rainy weather, but I'm thinking of buying a half size bigger and starting to wear socks for training...and go sockless just for triathlon races.

So what's your preference on shoes?  And how do you keep them clean while lasting long?

Wear socks in the winter for training, and wear them in 70.3s.  Summertime no, shorter races no.

I've had tri vents for probably 4 years, they's a bit dingy but seem to be going strong.  Only really washed them once, after peeing on the bike

Not to hijack Jason's sock issue, but I have a question that he inspired 

I've never been particularly fast, so never really did anything to the bike to make it as aerodynamic as possible.  Only put on race wheels cuz they look cool, but they're heavy HED 3s     Finally wore an aerohelmet at the 70.3 and, well dammit, I think I should try to get faster.  Bought my own helmet for the next race.  Switched to a stem mount torpedo style A2, removed all bottles/cages from the back

Question came up in tri talk about what tires to use in a race.  Jason said he'd never use gatorskins.  I said I used them, and the only reason I could come up with is that they were already on the wheels 

All things benig equal, had I switched to a lighter tire, could I expect a drop in my 2:55 time and if so, how much?

And, what is the list of aero improvements to the bike, and in the order of magnitude of benefit gained, and what is "best"?  I am excluding "fit" and assming that the position is proper.  Just talking about buying speed

I see:
Wheels -
      - Disc
      - spoked deep
      - HED 3 type
tires
aero helmet
bottle placement
    -behind the seat
    -torpedo mount
    -stem mount
    -frame mount
Cable routing

What else am I missing or could I add to th next race?

I never, ever wore socks until I started IM training. I am honestly not sure why I did, just seemed like the right thing to do. The only time I have ever worn socks in a triathlon was last year at Lake Placid. Again, I am not sure why. I do know that since I have been wearing socks in training, my shoes have begun to wear out before they start to stink. When I was sockless, they were ungodly. I travel with my bike a lot an I have literally fastened my shoes to the top of the car because I could simply not have them inside the cabin with me. God forbid if I ever left them in the car on a hot summer day by accident. KathyG did teach me a good trick for washing your shoes though - stick them in the dishwasher, just don't tell your spouse. It works like magic.

I have worn Sidi T2s since about the time they have been made. I am due a new pair (I seem to get about 3 years out of them) and will probably go with the T3.6 with the speedplay sole. I know they are not very triathlete-y, but yeah, I use Speedplays....

Congratulations to Nikki, who has officially reached "race weight"...as a colleague mentioned to her today that she needs to eat because she is beginning to look anorexic.

Did my first ever track workout this evening...enjoyed the torture of running 400s. Looking to focus a little more on run speed since most of the summer race schedule will be sprints. Although Buffalo Springs 70.3 is enticing...but I would definitely have to prepare to suffer if I choose to do that one.

For those of you who do speedwork/track workouts, what are some of your favorite workouts?

Sockless on the bike and run here...

I just deal with the stench. The bike shoes I will hose off from time to time if needed, but I don't do anything special. I wear the Sidi T2s and have been very pleased with them. This is my second season for the current pair I have.

It's not the weight of the tires...it's the Crr or rolling resistance.  Don't forget the latex tubes as well.

Over the course of a HIM...I wouldn't be surprised if the difference is in the 3-5 minute range.  I switched to a gatorskin like tire in September after my racing season was done...just for training.  My God they were slow as molasses.  But they did work...I pulled tons of glass out of them without a flat.

Many people underestimate the difference rolling resistance can make.  Your tire is the only thing that connects your bike to the road. 

ugh, that's chilly.  Don't translate, it is nice to read a bit of home.    I think about half of us fully understand anyways

Big Block Training - thoughts from the group on this.  i.e. 8-12 weeks really dedicated to a specific sport where you are putting in 5-6 sessions each week.  I've contemplated doing this, but wonder if you lose what you've gained when you move back to a balanced approach.

If I look to race my FTP with some very specific/hard training, will I lose some/all of those gains when I'm again running and swimming more?  Same thought process with marathon training, will I literally peak for the race and then lose what I've gained once I dial back the volume?

For the socks question, I always wear socks except in sprints and oly races - it's too cold for most of the year round here not to!

I always wear socks inside on the trainer and when wearing my Shimano's bike shoes on the road bike.  I also have a pair of LG tri shoes that have a vented liner or non vented for cooler days.  Unless it is really cold out I rarely wear socks with these. 

Outside when i use my road shoes i wear socks, when i wear my Tri shoes i don't wear socks.

I use my Tri shoes for the trainer always and do not wear socks inside.

i don't normally run in socks either, unless it is winter and outside.