Slornow and Wannabefaster's Winter Mentor Group-CLOSED (Page 18)

Nicole, what's wrong with your back? I only ask because I have a history with back issues, I wonder if it's something I might know about. I hope it gets better soon!

This morning was rough... Today was my first day back to school with students, so it was also my first early morning swim workout; I have to be in the pool by 5:30 if I'm going to have enough time to get it done. I was dead by the time I was done (my swim plan is about 2,500m/workout), just dead. It's definitely the most tired I've been from swimming since probably the first month I started. I'm taking this as a good sign that tired now will mean better swimming later, but those last few sets of drills and final 4 cooldown laps were brutal. 

Also, I want Spring to get here! You know what sucks? Going to the gym in the dark, even though it's morning. You know what sucks more? Leaving the gym in the dark...and it's still morning.

Hey gang!  I've been away since Christmas, but we've got the little ones into our routine now, and I think I'm ready to be a productive member of society again...  I look forward to catching up with the group.  I might even run today!

Michael-great to have you checking in.

Swim workout done. I know I have been talking alot about swimming lately but since I have been doing alot of it I guess that's how it goes. Sorry!  Had one of those moments today that I thought would never come. With swimming over the past 3-4 years it seems hard no matter how fast I went and I was always somewhat out of breath. Even an easy swim seemed "hard" when it came to breathing.  Of course harder intervals always felt harder and resulted in higher HR and the feeling that I needed more air. I've always hoped that I could do easy swims like easy runs where you just kind of rock along with minimum effort and comfortable breathing. Today, during some of my easy and moderate intervals I felt like I was breathing normally and not struggling at all with a comfortable breathing rhythm. My effort seemed to be limited more by fatigue or hard intervals rather than the feeling that I needed to get more air. My interval times were not particularly faster. Maybe, just maybe I'm finally building some aerobic endurance in the pool. That would really be nice! Or, maybe I just had a good day and the oxygen content of the water helped me along Regardless, I'll take it!

I'm actually not sure. I've had problems ever since I was pregnant (my son is now 20 so this is long term). I've always thought it might be something with lack of flexibility coupled with the stress of being pregnant and maybe not having enough support. The chiro said something about an old injury to L1, L2 that acts up occassionally. Usually, it's fine. some days it feels tight and I work out anyways because it's fine once I loosen up. I have occasional episodes like this but usually lasting a day or two. This was probably the worst one lasting almost a week and having muscle spasms. I try to do yoga once a week or so but have been sporadic lately. I like to think it helps  but Ireally don't know. If you have any advice I'd love to hear it. Oh-I also have a slight scoliosis which probably doesn't help.

What set-up do you have? I have wanted to use rollers, but also fear I would take out my entire house on rollers. EDIT: I realize you talked about SportsCrafters, but am interested in the 'training stand' Are you using the Fork Stand they offer?

Jamie, 

I typically do the Epsom Salts in a warm bath. I have heard that doing so in cool/cold water minimizes the effects of Epsom Salt for imflammation reduction. 

I have used it on and off for some time, sometimes it is a hassle to do it after a 'short' workout, so I typically only do this after big workouts during the week (PM, when I have time to soak), or on the weeknds after a long run or bike. 

If you've ever listened to Ben Greenfield (great podcasts...he has two different 'brands'), he speaks about Magnesium oil for recovery, and this is very similar (at least in my mind, since the Epsom salts are magnesium sulfate). 

You can get Epsom salts most everywhere, though in some stores in may be found in the laxatives area...it can get awkward. 

Evening my cyberfriends!

Nicole welcome back from the edge of paindom!

I am about to go update my training log but in the meantime I thought I'd stop in and say HI.  

I guess I'm not good at testing....first on my bike test I had my HRM on during my warm up and cool down so there's a fail on calculating my average.  Then today on my swim test I did 3 sets of 100s with 20 seconds rest in between to figure out my T pace per 100yards.....after my test I just kept swimming 100 yard sets with 20 seconds rest.  And ALL my times were spot on LOL  OOPS. 

Oh, and I learned I'm slow.  BUT I'll get there

On to tomorrow!

edited to add: I just purchased a membership and imported my winter bike routine - pretty slick stuff here!!

Jason-I think you sandbagged it so your training intervals won't be as bad over the next few months! Curious, do you listen to music or anything while doing the test?  Glad you made it through!

Randy

Good morning! On the road again for work today. Short run scheduled for this evening.  Get those workouts in....you will feel better when they are done!

Randee-I did my HR test wrong the first time too and had to redo it. I find the directions on the plan to be a bit confusing at times and the test in the plan description doesn't mention a warm up. The test is workout 1 of week 3 (Day 15). Do the warm up and then restart your watch for the 30 minute test. you did better than I did. My first time I just did 30 minutes all out with no warm up. Oops.

I only managed 600 yds. in the pool last night but it felt good to get a workout in. Planning to go again tonight. Hope everyone has a great workout today!

Morning all!  I managed to catch up with the group yesterday.  And even went for a run.

Randy, I'm going to use what you say as motivation to get the pool today...

Have a great day everyone.

Finished swim practice with Masters this morning. Lots of kick sets... Not a fan. I consider myself a moderately fast swimmer, but if I'm just kicking with no pull, I'm slow as molases!

Stuart, any tips on a more efficient kick?

I have a run after work today (if I can't fit it in at lunch). Training on a new software product for the next week and a half. Might lose all energy throughout the day, hope I can muster it back up for my after work workouts.

Have a great day everyone!

Good Morning Team, 

I got a two hour bike ride scheduled for tonight. Its raining pretty bad out here in Dallas since yesterday and is supposed to rain all day today. It looks like it will be a two hour trainer ride tonight ... it will be my longest ride on the trainer yet. 

There is a cycling club that rides near my house and there are a few very competitive cyclist in that club. On Monday afternoon at 4 pm one of the cyclists was hit by a 19 year old in a SUV and was declared brain dead yesterday morning. The cyclist was 64 years old and has been riding all his life. Its very sad and very frightening to know that someone got killed not even 5 minutes away from my house on a street that I ride on every Saturday. Also knowing that it happened at 4 pm while its still daylight is very upsetting. How can a driver not see the cyclist on the road going the same direction. I just hope for that girl that she wasn't texting .....! 

Michael - Welcome back to the group ... glad to see that you might be able to get into a good routine. 

I do have some tips but would love to know how you are doing kick drills now.  If you are riding a kickboard with your hands at the top of the board (a very common method), don't expect to improve much.  That is not any position your body will be in when swimming plus your feet will drop too low in the water as a result of holding your body so high.

If you must use a kickboard hold it at the bottom of the board with your arms fully extended. Drop your face in the water and elongate your body.  This will be more like your body position when swimming and raise your legs a bit in the water.  Don't let your feet break the surface of the water.  A big splash may look like you are working hard but ultimately you are wasting energy.  Minimize your knee bend and try for short powerful kicks.

As I have said before, I much prefer doing kick drills on your back without a kickboard.  You will find it awkward dropping your legs too deep so the kick will natually be shorter and driving the legs upward will really strenghen the muscles above the knee where you need it.

So I did a run/walk/run yesterday.  I decided to go immediately after my morning walk with the dogs.  It was just over a two mile walk.  I figured my legs should be warmed up sufficiently.  I did a few stretches and I was off.

About a mile and a half in my lower hamstring started to act up again.  This is not the first time I have had this problem.  So two questions for the group.

1. Why does this keep happenning? Can it be a form problem, insufficient warm up, not the right stretching?  I do stretch religously so I don't think its not enough, but maybe not the right kinds.  I think I can rule out the shoes.  My PT had me run for him and switched me to stability shoes with an insert.  I noticed a big difference in my tri last month with the new shoes, meaning I finished pain free.

2. What do I do to rehab this so I can run again? 

My only hope to ever get to where I want to be in this sport is to dramatically improve my running ability.  I can't do that if I can't run.

I did pick up one of Jeff Galloway's books yesterday on running as well as one from Dr. Maffetone based on some info I found here on the site.

Any help out there for me?

OMG how awful  He and his family are in my thoughts today.

I don't have any specific recommendations except I'm surprised that your physical therapist can't do more for you.  I ended up there because my knees hurt and I ended up being diagnosed for muscle problems I didn't even know I had (ie: I used to pedal with my back and not my hamstrings etc).  She gave me exercises that I did religiously and after 6 weeks my knees felt great and my pedaling was stronger than ever.

Anyway, maybe it's time to see an osteopath - they deal with your body as a whole and might be able to diagose why one thing is causing pain in another.

Being on the DL sucks - I know.  Good luck!

Dollars to donuts the main thing here is that you have an unhealed injury and you are running too hard, thereby 'reawakening it'.  I've had this injury as well.  I was able to keep running through it, but only by keeping the intensity very very low for about a month.  (I.e., I was running 2:00/mile more slowly than I normally would, which is 25-30% slower.)

As for stretching, that's unlikely to be related, unless you are stretching *before* you run, in which case, stop it! 

The thing about shoes is that we all know less than we think we do.  My only real motto about shoes is that if they are working (i.e., you are running comfortably and injury-free), don't change.  If they aren't working, then yeah, shop around.

If you cannot run even very slowly without the pain re-appearing then you need to just stop for a while.  Long-term it's your best bet (rather than pushing through, which will eventually make it worse and will be frustrating).  Pool running is complicated in this case, because it does not create any easing up on the hamstrings.  In fact, they have to work a bit harder.

But...it is even easier to go easier in the pool.  So, you could try doing some things in the pool to strengthen them.  With the flotation belt on, 'run', but very slowly at first.  This will work your hamstrings in exactly the way that road-running does, but in the water, you can be as slow and easy as you need to be to avoid re-injury.  Build up slowly.

Good luck!