Experior's Mentor Group - CLOSED (Page 18)

Thanks for sharing Michael.  I think there is a lot there.  You may have some genetic help, but you still had to start to train and continue to train in a consistent manner to see improvement.  You did not just wake up at 40 and decide to start running and go out and run 7 minute miles.

I may never run as fast as some but I will be able to improve over time.  I have also seen in these few months that I have been doing this that there are times where there seems to be no gain and then all of a sudden the gains just come in big leaps.  I think it is our bodies taking the stress, seeing if the stress is going to continue and then adjusting to the stress.  I really look forward to the increases in the training plan but I also really look forward to the recovery weeks.  I always come out of that recovery week feeling and doing much better.  I am not sure how many times I have gone through the peak but I am in a peak week now and I am not as tired as I have been in the past.  Still looking forward to recovery but nowhere near the aches, pains and tiredness.

I think sometimes we sooooo want the gains to be easy and come quick.  Human nature I think.  I just have to keep reminding myself that it took longer than a few months to get to where I am at.  I went back and read your post on consistency and one thing really hit me this time,

Ask yourself what you want to look back on 10 years from now -- 15,000 hours of television or a long-term commitment to a healthy lifestyle and the memory of crossing the finish line feeling strong and looking good? The answer is clear!

Good stuff!!

Okay enough rambling.

Michael:

Congrats ... sub-6 minute miles ... that is simply impressive, very impressive. 

Take care, 

- Manuel 

Loved reading the race report, I will try to do that too with my race that is coming up. You are very inspiring, Michael and all the others too, reading what you all are doing and everyone's thoughts on things. Glad I joined this group.

Changed jobs-better hours, better pay and will be able to train more consistently-there is that word again-I won't have to have rest days 3 in a row, instead I can plan rest days into my overall plan so they make sense.

It is hovering around freezing here and snowing. I am planning on going to a practice for the duathlon tomorrow, which is supposed to take place unless there is snow on the ground. Brrr!

May you all have awesome workouts this weekend!

Jan

Congrats on the new job, Jan.  Did you get to race?

I have a race today (sprint tri -- basically in my backyard so I pretty much have to do it).  The weather is nasty -- cold and rainy.  I have to admit that I'm not super-excited about racing in weather like that, but I'm sure that once the 'gun' goes off I'll be into it.

Well, I can't say I'm proud of it, but we learn from the good, the bad, and the ugly, right?  I think this one fits best under the 'ugly' heading:

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=246218

Short version:  Many bad things happened to Michael on race day today, and he did not react well.

Ugh.  For some reason, the 'ghosts in the machine' lost my response to your race report, Michael.  So I will re-try here.

First, I'll take your 'bad' race times any day!  Second, give yourself more credit for the power of sticking to it and persevering through the race in the face of so many mishaps.  You put up a great run pace, and had transitions that you were pleased with.  And you managed to survive the not-so-great sounding, hazardous bike course.  Plus you came out 22/360 overall, and 5/39 AG.  Not too shabby!

Take your frustrations with this race and use them toward a great next race.  I know when I felt I played a 'bad' game in hockey, I was all the more determined to play better next game.

Thanks.  You are 100% correct, of course, but it is really good to hear it from someone else.  My next race has an OWS, so at least there won't be the pool issue to deal with!

I hope others had a better weekend than I did!  Let's hear it -- what did we all get done this weekend (training or otherwise)?

What I did this weekend:

Saturday: hate to admit I vegged out training-wise (I was hoping to bike on the trainer - still quite cold to be biking outdoors), but got housework done, then went to a spaghetti dinner with a friend

Sunday: went to the Bethesda, MD MultisportWorld Expo with a fellow tri friend.  We sat through some very informative seminars on nutrition, sports injuries, and heard Karen Smyers speak (wow, what a neat, positive, inspirational woman!).  Shopped the expo a little and watched stunt biker Mike Stedley perform some amazing tricks.  After that, I took a 75 min. Total Immersion clinic.  1:6 instructor/student ratio.  I'm still not sure what I think of the swim clinic.  I definitely understood the physics behind their swim method, and it does make sense (well, mostly).  I either just didn't practice their method long enough to get comfortable with it (75 min is hardly enough time to grasp a new form), or something.  The motion/positioning aspects I was fine with but found it VERY difficult to breathe smoothly with this method.  My next pool session I may try to execute what I learned to give it a fair shake, but if I still struggle with it I may just continue on my previous path.  I did get a little compliment: the instructor said I had a 'natural grace' in the water and noticed I don't really need to kick much.  Which is true, I don't kick much until I am tired!  I took the compliment but thought to myself, "I may be graceful but I sure am not fast!"  Oh well.  I'll just keep on keepin' on.

Edit: the 'natural grace' comment was given about my warm-up swim form before we were taught anything.  She watched each of us to get a gauge of how we swam.  Personally I don't think I looked anything like graceful after our instruction while I was trying to breathe!

Not much better this weekend,

Had to take 2 days off due to nagging injuries. Did nothing at all. Had a good swim Friday night though. Really focused on 2 beat kick, a little different for sure. It is so about timing. Your body naturally wants to do one thing, brain is saying another. It's like rubbing your belly and patting your head.... started to get the hang of it though. Stiff ankles don't help with propulsion so I need to stretch them lots to get better.

Start of a new week though and feel better. lets get to it

Oh, Michael, the stuff of nightmares! But you did get through it and do well even though it may not have seemed well to you, it sounds that you did really well to me despite all the adversity! My brother-in-law is a triathlete. He is either pro or elite or something but he is one of the ones at the front of the pack with the "fist fight" as he puts it. He has told me nightmares of 2 flat tires during a race, a wetsuit malfunction and even a malfunction in the port-a-potty-that would be TMI to tell about that. So I guess these things happen, it is how you react to them that I would think is important...and learn from them. Anyway I want to say good job and on to better times.

This weekend I swam, ran and swam. The dualthon practice was canceled due to our stinking bad weather. We have snow and rain and cold this week but supposed to warm up for the weekend when the dualthon is. Yeah for that.

Best to everyone,

Jan

Michael,

I hated all of the bad stuff that happened to you in that race but I loved reading how you made it through all of it and finished the race.  Thanks for sharing.  I hope that if (when) I have a bad race day that I will remember this and use it as in inspiration to just keep going.

My weekend was great.  Rode 15 miles Friday morning.  Swam 10 x 100 then 10 x 50 on Friday afternoon.  Finished my peak week training on Friday so that I could take Saturday off.  Did some light free weight strength training Saturday morning.  Played in our poker league monthly tournament Saturday afternoon and evening.  I was in the top 10 for the month and won the top 10 table.  Took a bad beat in the main event though and was out about half way through.

Now here is the cool thing that happened this weekend.  I had a huge swim break through on Sunday.  Up until this week I had been doing pretty much continuous swim for my workouts.  My continuous swim was 200 free then 25 elem. backstroke and 75 free per 100.  Just keep going.  Last week I did some interval training.  On Sunday I only had to swim 18 minutes.  I had Yoga class immediately afterwords so I was just going to take it easy.  I swam the first 100 a little slower than usual for my first 100 and was not tired.  Hmmmm.  Swam the next 100, not tired.  Okay lets keep on doing free.  Next 100, not tired.  I ended up swimming a total of 850m in 18:23 and just was not tired.  My pace was right at 2:10 per 100 all the way.  I swam the first 600 in 13:00.  I really felt like I could swim forever at that pace.  Not sure what caused it.  Maybe it was the interval training this week.  Now I have to confess, I stopped and got two small candy bars and a powerade at the store on the way up.  Just wanted it so I got it.  I don't think that could have impacted anything but I just don't know.  All I know is that it felt awesome to swim like that.  Anyway, after the swim went to Yoga and then ran 2 miles on the treadmill because my running trails were too muddy from the rain.  All in all a great weekend.

How cool!  I'm jealous! 

Nobody ever called me 'graceful' in the water, so I think you should take it however it comes!

TI has helped a lot of people become competent swimmers, but IMO it is not for everybody.  If it doesn't feel right to you, I'd stick with what you feel is working.

Yeah, I agree -- let's get to it!  I did a hard run today that felt great.

Two-beat:  I'm a believer.  (I often still tend to use what they call a 2-beat crossover, which is considered a 'legitimate' kick, but I'd like to eliminate the crossover part and do a pure two-beat.)  The swim program I'm doing right now has a lot about kick timing, and one of the best drills that I've been doing for that is the one-legged, one-beat kick.  You swim 25 or 50 kicking with just one leg, once per stroke cycle.  So, for example, if you are kicking with your right, your left leg is totally inactive, and your right leg kicks just once per stroke cycle, the goal being to time that one kick just so.  It should be timed to coincide with the 'powerful' portion of your stroke on the same side (right, in this example), which is also the moment that you begin to rotate to the other side.  The kick provides a kind of 'platform' against which to rotate your hips and shoulders to the other side.  Does that make sense?

Nice training -- and nice job at the poker table!  You're making me want to play again.

Fantastic!  I love hearing about breakthroughs like that.  I am 100% convinced that swim breakthroughs especially come in exactly the form you just described.  I've gone through similar experiences and heard many others who did as well.  One day, you just keep going, and for whatever reason it suddenly seems 'normal'.  Keep it up and you'll have many more breakthroughs like that.

Yeah, I have to admit that I've reacted to adversity better in the past than I did this weekend.  Oh well, not all moments can be proud moments, right?  We move on...

Sorry to hear about your bad weather.  We had slightly warmer but similarly bad weather here (40s and rain, no snow), but today was much nicer.  I hope the same for you.  I hope the weather prediction holds for your race this weekend, but if it doesn't, don't be overly concerned.  Racing helps hide the pain of bad weather.  I just wish I could remember that point before the race!  I always get nervous and apprehensive before a race that's going to be cold and wet, but the truth is that once you get into it, the cold and the wet fade from view and you just race.

Michael:

I just read your race report. You gave us a great lesson on how to face adversity before, during and after a race. Hopefully your next race will be uneventful. 

I have a couple of questions. These are my totals for the month of March:

March's totals:  Bike:123.25 Mi    Run: 64.4 Mi    Swim: 15300 Yd

My goal for this year is to do a couple, maybe 3 sprints and two Oly in late summer/fall. I feel that I have completed my base training and that from this point on, it is a matter of improving pace, form,  and racing strategies. I am not so concerned about volume. I think I can comfortably add about 10-15% monthly and that will take me to complete the Oly in August. What do you think? 

My second question: Have you done the Myrtle Beach Tri? Would  you recommend it? I am looking at two Olys as my options to finish my tri season: Rev 3 @ Anderson, SC and/or Myrtle Beach ... any suggestions? 

My first race of the season is 4/10 - a 2M - 12M - 2M duathlon. I have driven the bike course and I think I will be able to finish without too many issues. I will probably ride it in the coming weeks ... 

Again, thanks in advance for your feedback. 

- Manuel 

Hi,

If anyone reads this tonight-please send positive thoughts my way! My first duathlon is tomorrow! 1.5 mile run, 15 mi bike, 3 mile run. I thought when I signed up, oh that is nothing but I drove it today and I am hoping I don't have to walk any of the last run. Lots of hills! I should be ok, but I have not done many bricks yet this year so this will force me and I need to get on the ball! My first tri is May 1st, not too far away.This duathlon is 2 loops for both the run and ride. I hate double loops.

I will try to send link to my race report when I am done.

Another swim lesson today-you would think this guy would get sick of telling and showing me how to do this and then showing me the video that shows I am not doing anything (!) he is telling me! I have time to practice this weekend. Hopefully I will look better next week. I feel the power of pulling myself through the water at times. Need to keep working toward that feeling.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Jan

Hope you're doing well Jan!  I look forward to hearing about it.

I hope everyone is having the fantastic weather that we're getting here.   I'm off for a bike ride, and I'll check back in later.

A day of ups and downs for sure and not just the hills. Something I did not put in my race report- I got 3rd place in my age division and got to get up on the platform and got a medal!! I was sure something was wrong because I felt so bad about my runs and thought maybe my bike was so good...? I went to my truck and put my bike in-an effort again- and took pictures of the medal and sent it to everyone with the news 3rd in my division!!

I was basking in the glow of success even though I had a sneaking suspicion this was not as good a thing as it seemed. I got home, looked at the results online and sure enough, there were only 3 women in my age group, so I was 3/3. Last.

Oh, well. I have a medal and I got to feel what it was like to be on the platform and have my picture taken with my medal.

I guess I can't figure out how to link it to the race report. Michael, when you get a chance can you tell me how to do that?

Off for a swim.

Jan

Way to go, Jan!  I'm off to read your race report.

And no, you weren't 'last', because you beat ALL of the people who didn't show up!  (I'm serious -- just getting out there and doing something is by itself a great accomplishment, not to mention a lot of fun.)

Nice report, Jan.  It looks like you did well, and learned a lot.

About passing people:  I'm sure, as you say, it is simply a confidence thing, and confidence comes from bike handling skills.  Those skill come with time, but there are things you can do to work on them.

Here are a couple of short articles on things you can do to ratchet up your bike handling skills.

http://www.active.com/cycling/Articles/Learn_to_ride_faster_and_safer_with_bike-handling_drills.htm

http://www.active.com/cycling/Articles/Time_to_practice_those_handling_skills.htm

Pictures:  When I edit a race report, I see two buttons in the upper-right -- "Save" and "Save and Upload Photos".  The second does what it says.

If you don't see the upload photos button (could be a membership level thing) you can always 'reply' to your own report and post a pic that way.  In that case, you have to upload it first (to some free image hosting place (imageshack, tinypic, etc...) then copy the link to the picture and click the 'image' icon in the editing bar (it looks sort of like a tree) and paste the URL to the image in the box that pops up.

If that description is too cryptic, let me know and I'll explain it more carefully.

Thank you Michael and Melanie for your inspiring support. I appreciate it alot because I am really addicted to this sport and even though I am not fast, I am learning and I really intent to continue. I am obsessed and despite some physical limitations I want to get better.

The articles were helpful, Michael, although I never thought about bumping or touching shoulders on the bike. Glad to know about this as being something to practice like an open water swim start where you are bumping people. I think I would have freaked out if someone bumped into me not knowing that was something expected. I am going to try to do the practice mentioned in the articles with my husband when he gets back from Kansas so I will know how I react. Also, I hope to join the multisport club here on this Thurs for their group bike ride. Since I changed jobs I will be able to do more with them and hopefully learn.

I can't tell you how helpful this is and I really appreciate it. I am off to try to attach the link to my race report.

Thank you so much,

Jan