Aaron Davidson's Group -- Closed. (Page 18)

RunRene - 2010-02-09 12:07 PM

Just so I am clear here.  Your bar-end shifters are at the end of you handle bars like this:
http://www.click-stand.com/images/bar_end_shifters1.jpg
Not at the end of the aerobars?

The reason I ask is I currently have the shifters on the brake levers, but I do have the option to move them to the end of the aerobars.  I bought aerobars that allow this option.

wbayek - 2010-02-09 7:42 AM

I would definitely warm up with a good paced run.  You don't have time to get loose and a 5k is pretty intense from the start.

wbayek - 2010-02-09 11:26 AM

I think you answered it.  I guess I have to bite the bullet and either move the shifters and do aero all the time (or as much as possible), or leave the shifters where they are and live with repositioning to shift.  I'll have to make the call as I ride outside again once the snow and ice go away.  I can't wait until someone unloads a pile of money in my driveway and I can justify a tri bike!
 

itsallrelative_Maine - 2010-02-10 7:52 AM First, some background...then the question:

I have never been athletic. I have made my body to athletic things (participating in a 700 mile 7 day bike ride, lots of time at the gym, some weight lifting, skiing, etc), but have never trained for a specific even until I started training for triathlons last April. When training for my first tri, I just set up a very loose schedule of what I would do each day and didn't track anything (as you will notice from my logs), this continued through the Mainiac in Sept. After that - I did start tracking things in the logs and starting in late Oct, early Nov started following a specific training plan (with Jorge's Winter Cycling Challenge and the Winter Maintenance Plan thrown in for good measure).

About 2 months ago, I started to suffer from insomnia. I can fall asleep on a dime (it drives my husband crazy in that I am almost asleep "before" my head hits the pillow while he is tossing and turning for 20 minutes before he can fall asleep), but I can't stay asleep. I wake up between 1-2 hours after initially falling asleep and then every 30-60 minutes for the rest of the night - with the final waking about 4am.

I was talking with a friend about this yesterday and she said, "It sounds like overtraining syndrome." After some research on the internet - I don't think this can be me - I am not a professional athlete, I am not training in a single sport, etc...but I don't know. Could I be suffering from something related to this? Am I training too much? If I am - how do I slow down without losing fitness?

Thanks for your help and guidance.

wbayek - 2010-02-10 11:45 AM Amazing timing for this question Jennifer.  I have suffered from this same problem for about 4 months.  As a point of reference - when my "coach" asked me for my limiters, I said sleep first.  I also fall asleep very quickly, but tend to wake up throughout the night.  I don't have to pee, so I don't think it's too much fluids.  I assumed this is part of getting old!

A few things I think are important to check (and I'm guilty of a few of these).  I'm leaving out some obvious ones we shouldn't need to worry about (like lack of exercise!):

1. Eating too close to bedtime.
2. Too much caffeine.  I know it is said caffeine metabolizes completely in 8 hours, but I still don't buy that morning caffeine won't affect sleep.
3. Exercise late in the day.
4. Bed is used for something other than sleep and sex.  If you have to read, only light pleasure books.
5. Stress.  Can't always do much about the stress event, but only how we deal with it.

I'm about to undertake a serious effort to improve my sleep, so I'll let everyone know how it goes.  I abuse number 1,2, and 3.

wbayek - 2010-02-10 12:39 PM No problem with debate Bob, I can't argue with anyone who has run a half under 1:40!

I'm only suggesting things on the list be looked at if someone has a sleeping problem.  If you're sleeping great, don't change anything.  It's like training in general - if it's working for you, don't change a thing.  And feel blessed that you're in that group.


On another note - I did some strides last night, just 30 seconds at a time, at a 6:00/mile pace.  That pace felt nearly all out after a 4 mile warmup, but I couldn't help thinking the elites run almost that fast for the whole marathon of an IM!  Oh my mutant genetic freak.

wbayek - 2010-02-10 7:08 AM
I'm also using Mr. Smooth to compare against my video and it's perfect.  I highly recommend it.  I use my son and an Olympus camera to take underwater video (not great quality but good enough) and you can get Mr. Smooth to the same places in your stroke and compare positions and fluidity and be a pretty good self coach.

itsallrelative_Maine - 2010-02-11 12:11 AM

That is SO cool! Now, if I could just figure out how to get around the no cameras rule at the pool.

And I agree - the Mr. Smooth stuff is really useful. I immediately tried the breathing stuff (breathe in the air pocket instead of rotating your head all the way out of the water)...good stuff.

itsallrelative_Maine - 2010-02-11 3:06 PM Page two? I hate it when the thread is on page two.

Had a great run outside today - it is beautiful, clear, sunny and dry here. It is so nice to get outside in the middle of February.

I'm having some issues with the HRM on my Garmin 305 (it said my ave HR was 65 - which I know isn't true). I am pretty good about moistening the sensors before I start. Is it possible that the battery is dead (I've only had the unit since the beginning of Dec) already? On the Garmin website, they suggested wearing the sensor on your back...has anyone had any experience with this? Advice always welcomed...

Have a great day!

itsallrelative_Maine - 2010-02-11 3:11 PM

That is SO cool! Now, if I could just figure out how to get around the no cameras rule at the pool.

And I agree - the Mr. Smooth stuff is really useful. I immediately tried the breathing stuff (breathe in the air pocket instead of rotating your head all the way out of the water)...good stuff.

itsallrelative_Maine - 2010-02-10 4:45 PM Thanks to all for the feedback. I have thought about a few of the items on Warren's list...I drink one cup of green tea in the morning and no more caffeine for the rest of the day. I try not to eat/drink anything after dinner - unless I have a workout - then I try to stop drinking/working out 2 hours before bed. I recently started doing more workouts at night (due to schedule changes) - but that was within the last couple of weeks, so I can't attribute all of my insomnia to that. As for what wakes me? I live in the boonies - it is wickedly quiet here. It's a newer house, so minimal creaking/house noise. Sometimes it is my husband snoring (;-)), but if I give him a nudge, he'll roll over and stop. Sometimes it is a kid with a bad dream (about 1/week).

I talked with someone about the change in my training schedule - I started Jorge's plan a few weeks before the insomnia set in, and stopped taking a complete day of rest (Jorge advocates an "active" rest day). Maybe my body needs a complete day of rest in order to recover. I have finished his plan, so I will ramp down a bit on cycling for the next couple of months. I'm seriously considering putting the majority of my focus on running (with a couple of bikes and a couple of swims a week) until the Half Marathon at the beginning of May. I shouldn't lose too much sport-specific fitness with that approach - right?

So - the upshot of this long ramble is that I'm going to ease back while in Florida (if I can swim or bike, great...but I won't stress about it), destress while on vacation (I hope!) and see if that helps. I think the main thing I need to remember is that everyone is different, and what may work well for one person may not work as well for the next. Thank you again for all the thoughtful feedback. I really do appreciate it!