jsnowash's Spring-into-action 2011 mentor group -- Full Up & Ready to go! (Page 18)

     Yeah I agree it is probably not the safest thing in the world to listen to music while running or biking outside.  I have both my earbuds in when I am running on sidewalks but I do look a couple times before crossing any intersections and when I am biking I only have one bud in and it is on the non-traffic side. 

     I generally listen to PodRunner, a great podcast with a set BPM for rhythm, when doing my cardio and save my normal music playlist for when I am using weights.  The only thing I am worried about really is not keeping pace which PodRunner helps me with and then if I hit a wall normally I can blast the music to push past it... I wonder if I will miss that during the race.

Marcus

Happy birthday Baowolf, and enjoy the cake!  Glad your ankle is looking a bit better and the hay is almost in the barn for Boston for you.  Thanks for the input on my plan (or lack therof).  I was in the low 20 mpw in February, but all slow and sloggy just to cross the finish line in the 1/2 I did at the end of Feb.  So you are right that I need to rethink the running.  Since I was planning Run 3, Bike 2, Swim 2, I can shorten the longer run and add in a bike that day.  Swim days would also be fairly easy to add in a run or bike (run or ride to/from the gym and go from there), so we'll see as things go along.  As for the not listening to music while running.....la...la...la....what did you say?  Sorry, I can't hear you!

When I started running for the first time in my life (why not start with marathon training?!) I did my long runs with a group, so none of us had music. We talked and it was awesome! Sometimes for hours on end. I got to know those people better than some friends I had for years. My shorter runs were around the city of Chicago, so I never brought music with me-I'm far too clumsy and dangerous for that! I think I just got used to running without music, I never felt like I was missing anything. I also found myself using mantras. I was using them while running without even realizing it. I guess whatever thought I was having most prominently would just get stuck in my head and repeated. "Water ahead, just past the street sign" Or "Rollerbladers are so rude" in time with my steps. One actual mantra I like for meditation (haven't tried it for running yet) is "Here and now. Now and here." 

While swimming I definitely use my lap number as my mantra. I'd never keep track any other way. I find it kind of relaxing to not have to think "real" thoughts while swimming. Though I have thought about getting one of those water proof ipod thingies because sometimes being in that pool for 1 hour plus gets tedious..

I have really only begun biking outside and it has been incredible! I have about 22 miles of the American Tobacco Trail down the road from me and I am loving it! I've lived in the area (NC) for 4 years now and can't believe it has taken me this long to get on this trail! I'm really enjoying the sites and sounds so I can't imagine having headphones on. Also, it's packed on the weekends and would just be far too dangerous with headphones.

Doing speedwork on low miles = injury.  Or at least way higher risk of injury.  Aside from bike falls, you are most likely to get a muscle pull from doing speedwork without a strong enough base to handle it.  If one workout is short speed work and the other work out is running too long for your overall milage you are inviting run injury x 2. 

The same is true of biking as well.  Speedwork or hills can thrash a calf muscle pretty quick on the bike.

Yay made my weight loss goal for the month 145 now (12 % body fat ish).  1 month until Boston, only 5 more pounds to go.  Just as a FYI, folks say you lose 2 seconds per mile per pound at the same fitness level.  So losing that last 5 pounds will make me  4 minutes 22 seconds faster over the course of the race... on paper. 

More fluries this week, temps 30s to 40s but with lots of wind.  Lite weekend here before my final prerace build week:

6 mile run, 10 mile bike, 12 mile run, lite strength workout.

So what does everyone else have going on this weekend?  Been a bit quiet here.  This is kind of a hard time of the year because the whether "should be" nice enough to just go outside in shorts and start enjoying the training, but it is still not quite there yet.  Enjoy the weekend. 

The weekend is going pretty good here and I am meeting most of my training goals.  I went out and bought a pair of Merrel Trail Gloves to attempt more of a barefoot style of trail running and will VERY slowly attempt to work my way into running with these.  Other than that there is a birthday party on Sunday so I need to add some extra miles in here to work off that cake haha!

Marcus

Marcus, so do we have two birthdays in the group this weekend?  Glad you're meeting your training goals

Baowolf, good going on the weight loss and body fat %!  I've dropped 8lbs since mid December, and while I'm not much faster, I sure feel better.  Hoping to get a few more will fall off in the next few months.

Good weekend here.  Ran 3ish miles and then rode 13 this morning.  The run was on my own, and the ride was with a friend who was at a slower pace, so I did some waiting.  But we rode a somewhat hilly (for TX) route, and wound up at the coffee shop to catch up a bit, so it was all good.  I still feel like I want to run more, so may head out in the morning for about 5.  Weather is awesome!  Hope everyone else is having a great weekend.

Jenny, hope the race you're coordinating went well!

Thanks Baowolf, that is why I said VERY slowly   I am already running with Nike Frees so I am used to a less cushioned running shoe but these Merrells are no joke flat.  I fully plan on running very short distances in them for at least a year before I make them into a main running shoe for me.  As soon as the snow melts a little more and the soft ground hardens a bit I will try them with some trail running, I don't want to destroy my Frees on a dirty/rocky trail!

Marcus

Oh yeah and technically my birthday isn't for a month but the extended family can't get together for every birthday so we tend to group three or four peoples birthdays together.  So not my birthday but I still get cake and ice cream! :P

Here's my weekly accountabilty post:  Thanks to the weather I hit all my weekly training goals-2r/2sw/2b and 2 str.  I followed my nutrition plan and my bodyfat % went down .5.  Increased training minutes by about 10%.  I was a little sore after my first spin class on Wed, so I rested Th and Fri. Happy 1st Day of Spring everybody!  TJCIN

Congrats on the successful race and you should be very proud of the money that you collected for cancer research!!

I just completed my longest swim to date this morning, 3200yds... why they are having my do that for a sprint training program with a swim of only 440yds I will never know but its complete either way!  I hope you all had a good weekend and are re-energized for the coming week.

Marcus

Wow! Congrats on the successful event-that is a huge feat and for a great cause!

I am also having shoulder problems! I missed a swim about 1.5 weeks ago and instead of picking up where I left off, I jumped up in distance for my longest swim yet. MISTAKE! I felt great in the pool, but the next couple of days my rotator cuff was really bothering me. Not even while exercising, just with random movement. There is really something to the rule of not increasing by more than 10%. It's not worth it, so don't try it! It's still not feeling great..

I've been taking a break from swimming, started icing and taking Aleve. If I feel better I'll start back to swimming freestyle a week from today. The good news is that the biking is going great! I'm getting more comfortable on my road bike every time I take it out-definitely getting closer to switching my pedals over to the clipless. I also might hit the free "Get to Know Your Bike" class at the bike shop tonight to learn how to change a flat.

Todd, nice going on your metric century (yes, I learned a new term too !  Sounds like a great day!

Baowolf, will try to push some spring weather your way.  Hope the shoulder and ankle feel better.

Jenny, great job on the race, and for such a good cause.  Hope you're smiling and enjoying having made a contribution to something really important.

Marcus, nice long swim, and glad you didn't come out any the worse for wear.  I'm only up to 2K yards, but have been wondering the same thing re: too much for sprint training.

Conanzchic, glad you are enjoying your bike!  I'm loving mine too.  Wish you were here so we could ride our bikes togehter because I think we are in about the same place.  I don't have the shoes yet, but will be stopping by the bike shop this week to get some advice on that.

Question: I'm signed up for a sprint tri on 4/10 (pool swim), and then would like to do one on 5/15 that has a 1/2 mile open water swim.  Sandy beach start...lots of support, kayaks, etc....can even touch bottom on much of the course.  So....sounds like a good first open water.  But, water temps of 71-74 degrees, which makes it wet suit legal.  And the pics on the website from last year show most people wearing them.  So would I really need a wet suit for that?  It will warm up quickly here after that, so it would probably be the only time I would need one this summer.  And yes, I'm cheap thrifty, so don't really want to shell out the $$'s for something that might not get much use.

Jenny - Great job with your race.  That's very cool that you raised that much money for a great cause!

Baowolf - just one more week til taper time right?  Is your ankle better?  My friends that are doing Boston are getting excited.

Marcus - nice job on the 3200 yds.  I am intending to get back to the pool next week (we'll see...)

Conanzchic - glad to hear you are enjoying the bike!  Keep at it!

Squirt - as somebody already said, you can rent a wetsuit.  Otherwise it really depends how comfortable you are in water of that temperature.  I am a cold water wimp, so I would be wearing a wetsuit at that temp, but low 70s are definitely getting into a bearable range.

As for me, I've got 5 days til race day.  I'm in that "every little twinge is probably a major injury" phase, but that will pass.  My 8 mile run yesterday felt like 18, but today's 4 miler felt pretty good.  I'm trying not to obsessively keep checking the weather because it keeps changing (today it was different depending whether I looked at TWC or Accuweather).

I'm hoping to get back in the pool and on my bike starting next week.  I did sign up for a sprint in July.  I was actually going to sign up for the HIM at the same event, but I waited too long and it was full.

Keep up the good work everybody!