We Don't Just Tri - We Do Group - Closed (Page 17)

Training seems to be coming along well.  I'm doing three adays now, up at 4:00AM biking 16 miles every morning.  I'd like to do more but my desire to eat and have a place to live (i.e. work) prevents me from having any more time.  Then I do 30-45 minutes weight training mid-day.   Afternoons, I alternate between running and swimming, running between 4-12 miles, swimming 1500-2000 yards per session.   Now that the weather has warmed a bit and I have a wetsuit, I'm going to start stopping at Jordan Lake State Park on my way home from work and do most of my swimming in open water.   Been concentrating on technique lately, trying to make every stroke as efficiently as  I can and also trying to teach myself to take breaths from both sides. Because it occured to me, that when I start open water swimming, I may be in trouble if the winds and fetch is coming from my right side and if I can't breath from my left side, I'm screwed.  My next tri is May 18th and with every tri my confidence is getting better and better.   Please tell me if this is a mistake on my part, but for now, my main goal is to work on endurance, technique and motivation over speed for now. My thinking is, that as I need to first teach my muscles to become accustomed to extreme exertion over longer periods of time my speed and endurance will improve (to a point).   trying to cover every base as best as I can, I live out in the boonies and coaches and facilities are few and far between (i probably couldn't afford a coach anyways).Once I can cover the distances required, then I'll work on speed.  My goal right now is to finish with a respectable time, give myself a baseline to immprove upon i round two (next year).   I've given my wife some hints that a good tri bike would be a nice christmas present this year, right now I'm riding on a Amazon.com special and for the most part holding my own, (two thirds and a fifteenth finish), so I'm not complaining but can't help but wonder if I had better equipment wouldn't it be a little easier.  Somewhere down the line I'd like to get a good bike.

You never cease to amaze me Bull! You have such a great work ethic and the motivation to keep up that pace is fantastic.

One thing you may consider is an online coach, BT has them for $35 a month if your a premium member, I have not used them personally, but may consider it later this summer?

Keep up the good work, it gives me motivation when I am lacking!

Thanks.   The hard part is balancing my tri goals with family commitments, which so far I've been able to do successfully. Family always comes first.  It helps that my family is 100% behind me.  Besides my tris my wife has gotten hooked on running and she's entering 5ks for now (her ultimate goal is a Half Marathon).  Race day is family day.

Thanks for the info.   My thinking exactly which why I'm gearing my training sessions towards endurance and technique. What I've noticed is naturally my speeds have gotten better. I'm sure there is a curve that will peak at some point but until then, my emphasis is on teaching these tired old muscles to keep moving for long periods of time and being as efficient as I can while doing it.  the only person I'm competing against is myself.  

Hello everyone! Hope all is well on the training front. I have really gotten in some good key workouts this past week in all 3 disciplines. I hope to build slightly this week as well before my business travel all next week. Hopefully I can get in at least 2 or 3 runs and good thing its a taper week!

I picked up my Rocky Mountain Triathlon Club uniform on Tuesday night and also took advantage of an opportunity to do a track workout that same night with the team. We put in a really hard effort of 8x800 repeats. It was me and another guy working hard together in group one. He killed me on the final 2 repeats at all out effort but I hung on as best I could. I started shaking my head when my garmin said 4:51 pace! Yes that was my max point for me and had to slow sligthly. He is training for Ironman Montreal! Really cool guy none the less. Anyway it was way easier to run hard with someone else instead for a change. I met some cool people and happy that I joined the team.

I am getting excited for Longmont on the 18th and beginning to feel that nervousness from time to time as I think about race day. Trying to stay positive and focus on what equipment I will need. I picked up a new Cobb saddle and am anxiously awaiting its delivery today. Hopefully it will be the magic saddle for me. More to follow on that.

Take care and happy training!

Jeff

Hey Thom, 

thanks for the additional input.  Yes, I will be doing some run/walk during this race.  I started doing these about 3 weeks ago and found that it does prevent/delay the onset of muscle tiredness. I know that after getting off the bike my legs want to just go on the run.  That plus the adrenaline from the crowds will probably have me running faster than I should for the first mile.   I plan on letting that go and at the first aid station I will walk for a few minutes to hydrate and take in some nutrition.  After that, I plan on walking at every aid station.  

This is my last weekend of long workouts.  Plan on a 4 hr run and 112 miles on Sunday.   I am so looking forward to the taper.  

have a great weekend everyone.  

a

Millscd63 - everyone is different but here is what I would do.  Trying to put on a compression shirt on a wet body is really hard.  I would wear it over my tri top with the wetsuit over it.   I will dry quickly once you are on the bike.  Alternatively, you could just wear a pair of arm warmers.  I used these on a marathon I ran last October and they worked out great.  You can roll them down if you start to get hot and even take them off and tuck them in the wait of your shorts.  

As for the pump, if you get there early enough, you could bring your pump, get some air in your tires and hand off to a family member or walk it back to your car.  I support you could leave it your bike and hope that someone else does not think it is a pump provided by the race director.   On the sprint races I have done, I did not have to check in bikes the night before so I just inflated tires once I have to the parking lot and let the pump in my car. 

if the temps are going to be around 40, you will probably want gloves on the bike.   You did not mention the distance of your race but even for a short sprint, your hands and toes will probably get numb.   For the run, in those temps, I would wear a light pair of gloves.  If you use the arm warmers for the bike, you can then just use those for the run as well.  

Hope it helps and best of luck.  Please let us know how you do. 

a

How did it go?

Armando, best luck next weekend! Let us know your bib# when you get it, we will be your invisible cheerleaders.

Now the fun begins as you try to get a new PR on your next race. Congratulations!

I am Done!!!!  Long works out are a thing of the past - for the time being.  

Saturday I did 4500 yards in the pool.  Today 114 on the bike and a short 4 miler brick.  Not much more I can do between now and 5/18.  A few short runs and biking sessions to keep the body moving.  Wednesday or Thursday I ship my bike.  Need to degrease it, lube it and adjust the rear derailleur.  I also need to go over everything I need to pack and then is off to TX.    

Bib number 2561.  

Armando

Great Job! Let the journey begin, it's now a way of life.

Good Luck! Can't wait to track you on line! we"ll be rooting you on the entire way, sending our positive energy your way.