RFP GROUP - CLOSED (Page 17)

I drive to CHicago on Thursday morning.  We will get there around 11.  I don't know our schedule yet.  Will find out more by Monday.

With all the chicago people in this group, I would think someone will be at Chicago 13.1 next Saturday.  Anyone?

KC, I have the same problem as you with sighting.  I always seem to add more mileage to my swim as I tend to pull to the left also.  I do breathe bilateral and can still catch myself pulling.  On race day I only breathe on one side.

Great video Tim!  I have to swim later today so I will make sure to include that drill and work on my sighting.

I am starting to freak out as I have my first race next weekend and I have yet to go out and do an OWS or even put my wetsuit on this season.  There is really no place to do an OWS around here and what I do have is a State Park beach.   I have heard in the past this race wasn't wetsuit legal so I guess I better start learning what is this year.  I really hope I can get some practice in this weekend otherwise I will freak out.

The more we tell ourselves we will freak out, the more likely we will.  The more we tell ourselves all is well, all will be well.  Triathlon is really 6 events that I know of.  Swim, Bike, Run, Nutrition, Mental Toughness/Preparation/Positive Thinking, and Injury Prevention.

Soak the suit, take it to the beach, tri it, take a warmup swim on the morning of the race, finish at least 10 minutes before the start and spend the time to the cannon imagining yourself crossing the finish line.   This stuff is FUN! 

I race a week from tomorrow for the first time in 2012.  Sprint.  All good but the sore back.  Going to set something up with a chiro.  LBS wants me to buy a more relaxed bike setup, go figure.  If I can sell off a couple of things, I think I will.

Thanks, Tim!  And thanks for posting the video...I'll have to try that drill next time.  I highly recommend massages for everyone.  I know they are a little pricey and Deb's suggestion for using the Groupon/Living Social/Google deals are a great way to keep them affordable.  Also, I would suggest not waiting until you're sore to go.  The reason being that, with all the training stress that we put on our bodies, it causes little micro tears in our muscle and if we don't roll or massage the muscles, all of the lactic acid buildup will settle into the microfascial tissue and cause knots.  I experienced this firsthand while my MT worked on my quads.  They weren't sore but when he started working on them he found a few spots that were really tight and I almost cried as he worked on them. (sure makes you wanna go right out and get one, right? )

With all that being said, massages are probably not necessary if you're good about rolling out.  I'm very bad at doing that so I end up paying the price for it when I do actually get a massage.  

Brian - I was signed up to run the 5K with a colleague of mine who just started running but I have to be in Indy for one of my good friend's brothers wedding.  Let me know if/when you and Tim decide to go for a run, I'd love to join you! Hopefully I can keep up. 

Kathy - ditto what Scott said about psyching yourself out. I'm beginning to think that the mental part of all this trumps even the physical training.  We all go through it, and being a little nervous is a good thing, but remember to try and have fun too! 

So I'm going to be Debbie Downer for a bit here.  I had, by far, the worst swim wko ever last night.  I swam with the masters and was fine during the warm up but when we got into the intervals, I had trouble breathing.  We were doing some 100m intervals and I'd be fine up to about 50m then I'd have to take a breath every other stroke and felt like I was gasping for air every time I took a breath.  I talked to the coach about it and he gave me some tips but I just couldn't get the hang of it.  I've been trying to work on the breathing these last couple weeks and maybe it was b/c I was thinking too much about it and that's what caused me to start feeling anxious and panicky.  The one thing I did differently last night though is I took 2 puffs of my inhaler about 15 min BEFORE the workout.  My doc said that since my asthma seems to be exercise induced, this would be a good practice to get into.  Needless to say I was pretty discouraged after my workout...but then forgot all about it as I was writhing in pain while my legs were being worked on.  Haha! Ok, joking aside, I'm heading back to the pool today to do a solo wko and hopefully it won't be as bad as last night.  

 Looks like a lot of folks will be racing in upcoming weeks.  I've also got my first on June 16.  It's still a few weeks away but creeping up fast!  Man, I can't believe Memorial Day is around the corner!!  Hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday weekend!

Hi Team.

I am sorry  I have not been around much this week. I hope everyone is doing well.

ICE - thanks for the tips and the continued words of encouragement for everyone.

Tim - Awesome vid - worked on it in the pool this morning and thanks for the wet suit info - did you buy the sleeveless?

Deb - I am due for a massage, thanks for the reminder

Sarah - hope your swim today went better - I feel your pain.

Well - into week 17 with 77 days to go - I can't believe it. I am trying not to look too far ahead at my schedule so it does not freak me out LOL, but I am feeling good (knock wood) except as usual I know my swimming needs work but I will do it.

I am going to share a new pic of my bike with everyone - got the race wheels yesterday - they look great and the good news is, my VW just got more aero and faster, even if I didn't. Please note the Titleist sticker - could not resist .

Since we are on the topic of swimming, I had a friend take some video of me this morning and since it has been several months since I shared my swim vids with you - I thought I would bug and bore you once again - for your input if you have some time. I have noticed a couple things - 1) I think I am getting better and more comfortable  2) I seem to reach too far with my right arm during recovery and just before entry, perhaps I should be entering the water a little closer to my head. 3) my previous real bad crossover my mid line with my left arm is better and so is my right I think. Anyway, anything any of you would care to add would be greatly appreciated.

Have a great weekend everyone. Long bike for me this weekend 4:45, so I will put those new wheels to a good test.

Stay safe.

KC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LenV3YAJL2Y

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KC - awesome bike.  Swimming looks great too.  Hard to believe you are the same guy in the pool from last years video's.  I didn't really see any issues.  And yes I did get the sleeveless.  I have swam in 55 degree water with sleeveless so really don't see a need for full suit especially with additional arm restriction.  But its all personal preference.

Sarah -hope your next swim went better.  Don't let it bother you much.

National Weather service issues a heat advisory.  Temps will be 92.  No clouds in sight.  But, the humidity is only 41 %.  So, let's go race at 4pm!!  Details to follow.

Hope everyone has a great saturday!

Why is the race so late?  Good luck!!

So I am going to move my 4 hour ride to Monday.  I just committed to ride with some guys from the Masters swim group who are unbelievable riders.  They all have done 9 hour IM's -ugh.  I have ridden with them before and have gotten dropped every time haha.  One of them is doing IMCDA and is just looking for someone to ride with so he promised me he will not drop me.  We'll see.  It's good to ride with better riders but this is my longest ride EVER so we'll see how it goes....

I am also going to give me first try at Hammer Perpetuem and will go with a 4 hour bottle of Caffe Latte.  I am going to also take a Raspberry Hammer Gel every 35-40 minutes.  Then I will just drink H2O.  Hopefully my stomach will agree to this as well.

Hammer usually says to watch for problems after hour 3 in the heat with Perpetuem. Might think about getting it frozen or nearly so and using something else your first hour.  Just a thought.  

K.C. that is a sweet ride.  I am trying to all a MTB to buy a new bike.  We shall see.  If so, I'll have an Orbea Ordu for sale.

3 hour ride for me tomorrow.  Did 90 mins on the CT today hard with VO2 and then ran 6 miles in the heat.  Leaner meaner Scott means less heat issues.  That is a sweet result to weight loss and strength training.

Thanks Tim - going to spend 4:30 on it tomorrow morning starting at 6 am sharp . I will let you know how it goes. Thanks also for the comments on the swimming - it is a work in progress and always will be. I have both types of wetsuits but am looking for something a bit more flexible. I will take a look at what you have recommended again.

KC

Thanks IceMan. If you get a chance, can you take a look at my youtube vid of swim from Friday? I really value your opinion.

Have a great ride tomorrow.

KC

My guess as a cynic...the sponsor is a local brewery and the race finishes in their parking lot.  Want people to stick around and have beer and BBQ.

Is your bike the Shiv?  That's the one I'm looking at.  Fit is supposed to be really more relaxed which is what I'm looking at to save my back.

Your swim form looks good.  Love your roll.  You reach really well.   Two things both connected to your kick and one to your head position.    Note that your butt is underwater a lot. Swim as if you were swimming downhill.  You might keep your head down more when you breathe.  One goggle in the water.  Try looking slightly forward when you breathe.  It opens your throat and will help with head position.  The other thing is your legs are scissoring.  Every  time you open them up too much, they slow you down, your hips drop and you are swimming uphill.   Try to imagine you are swimming through a pipe and keep your feet closer to your center line.  Your stroke really looks good over all.  I had to work hard to get there this year with semi private lessons.

Remember, I'm still studying to be a coach and not one.  No expert here. 

Happy 500 Day from Indianapolis!!

The race went about as well as I could have hoped for.  350 yard swim in a pool (worst part of the race)  Started in a time trial form.  We had to snake up and down lanes to get in all 7 laps.  It was hard to pass, and even a bit dangerous as people could be passing coming the other direction.

11 mile bike which was 2 laps.  flat to downhill for miles 1-3.5, up hill the rest of the way home.  I was only able to avg about 18 mph for the ride.

5k run - I felt like I was running in mud, but I kept seeing 7:40-7:55 pace on my watch.  It was very hot, but I was able to keep running the entire time.  Passed more people on the run than passed me on the bike, so that was a success.

Still waiting on results to get posted.  Unfortunately they had no clocks in the pool to see what time was when we started, nor out on the course. 

Hi Everyone!

Worked on the sighting drill on Friday so thank you Tim for posting that video.  Should you breathe on the same side as where you are wanting to sight?  The reason why I was asking as when I was sighting I was skipping a breathe and typically wI hen racing I breathe on the same side every stroke.

I was also able to get in a lake and swim in both the wet suit and without the wet suit.  As soon as I got in the water I felt back at home and that really made me feel better.  I also bought a new racing outfit and tired it out on the bike and swim (without wet suit) and they seem to work well.

Race results came in late yesterday.  Good swim for me Averaged 1:42 per 100.  Not great biking - under 18 /mile.  Great run - 7:22 per mile.  9/25 in my division.  Need to really work on biking if I want to move up.

Went out this morning for 21 mile ride with 2.5 mile transition run to get the legs moving.

Now its off to buy bukes for the girls and spend some time at the pool with the family.

Hi Team.

I hope everyone had a great weekend.

Diane - Awesome experience seeing the Torch - very inspiring for sure.

IceMan - yes it is the Shiv and I love it and thanks for the swim tips.

Tim - thanks for the encouragement and the help.

Brian - nice race and great swimming even with the issues in the pool.

My first race of the season this weekend - which was my first one ever last year - the Belle River Sprint - looking forward to it.

Have a great training week everyone and be safe.

KC

Hi Team.

Tim - nice ride my friend.

Well - just checking in after another busy day to say hello and to share a positive note about my swimming . You have all been so patient with me when I talk about my swimming and I wanted to say thanks. I also want to share with you that while in the past I have noted bad days in the water - today I probably had my best swim ever. I could have stayed in the pool for what seemed like forever today and honestly felt as comfortable as I ever have. After knocking out a relaxing 450 warm up with some drills and kikcing, I settled in for a 2300 meter swim like it was 100 meters - it was amazing. After that I did 400 more of the sighting drill and while it was difficult getting the timing, I enjoyed every single stroke.

After my swim, I did a 9 km run in the sweltering heat - not great but I got it done.

Anyway, just wanted to share a real good day - not sure when it will happen again but I know it will.

KC 

KC - that's awesome!  Glad to hear the swim in coming along! I hope to have days like that soon  And way to RFP on the run. 

Diane - very cool being able to see the torch.  2 more months!  Can't wait!

Brian - great job on the race!  Did you watch any of the 500?  I didn't but heard Dario Franchetti won. I like him.  Probably b/c he is married to Ashley Judd 

Tim - I know how you feel! I rode Sunday with the bike team and I was the only girl.  We were hammering pretty much the entire time and I got dropped bad once but we were almost to (one of the) turn around points so I was able to catch up with the rest of 'em.  I ended up doing about 3 hours. 

I got stuck and work Friday so I wasn't able to get the swim in.  Saturday was the Soldier Field 10 miler and I did worse than I expected/wanted.  I still PRed my time from last year by 3 min but my legs felt really stiff.  I rode my bike to the race site and then we were standing in the start corrals for about 30 min with some cold winds.  I think that was the main cause of my legs feeling stiff and sore...and maybe also b/c I haven't done a long run in a couple weeks. 

Legs were a little beat up from the wknd so decided instead to take yesterday off and took the Murphster to the doggy beach. 

The morning was a little rough getting going so I'm planning on doing the bike intervals this evening. It's tough getting back into things after a 3 day weekend!   Will start OWS this week too...so excited to NOT swim in the pool!! 

Hi Team!

I am sorry for being MIA!  We actually just got back from a camping trip to Rock Island State Park in Door County, WI.  If anyone here is into camping, backpacking, remote type of camping, I would HIGHLY recommend making a trip sometime.  It is ABSOLUTELY gorgeous.  I included some pictures in this post.  I wasn't able to run still (leg is still giving me trouble, but it is getting better) but did about 12 miles of hiking over the course of the weekend. 

Tonight went to a group ride west of Milwaukee, in a very hilly area.  Got 26 miles in, with some decent climbs.  Averaged 15.12 mph, so slowly but surely I am increasing my speed...

Happy Training everyone!

Jenny

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