MarkQuiet's group - FULL (Page 18)

I'm definitely in....You all inspire me!

Thanks for the info on keeping my head in the game at the finish line and on the race belt.

I'm so excited! - I started a thread for the race that's coming up here in Crystal River and didn't really know what I was doing or where to look to see if people responded.  I just figured it out that people have written back to me on my training log and realized that there will be maybe 5-6 BTr's here for the race in 2 weeks.  Can't wait to meet some folks.  Too bad you all live so far away (. 

URGENT! - Help! Oh crud, I'm tapering down to my first race next weekend (5/26) and wouldn't you know it, I started to get a cold bug yesterday that's going around.  Most people are getting hit for about 6 weeks with this nasty thing.  I'm also crushed at work for the next 2 days so can't take time off to rest.  Yesterday is the only workout I've actually missed (it was a 30-min trainer ride).  I ran today and did okay but I can tell my chest is getting tighter and filling up and my nose ran the whole way and my body feels fatigued.  I haven't been getting 8 hrs of sleep.  My plan is to listen to my body and do my best to get in my workouts, but, if I'm really fatigued, forego the workout to rest.  After Saturday I should be able to do whatever I need to do to rest so I can plan my workouts even during the day if I need to.  Does that sound like a plan?  Anybody have any experience with this or have a different idea???  What a bummer!!!  (My friend who is going to run it has the same thing).  CRAP!

Welcome back M! - Jeez, I wish I had your running times - they look great.  Glad to have you back.

Tony - there are some good articles on our BT website about how to lay out a transition area.  I tried it and although my times weren't what I would like them to be in my "practice tri" I'm sure that the layout helped.  I can't remember exactly where I found them but if I locate them I'll try to attach them in here somehow so you can see them.

Hey everyone - I've been laying low since Thursday when I started to get a cold (the bug is going around big time here).  I'm trying to heed advice to just rest (seems all my body wants to do is sleep) and drink lots of fluids and take vitamins but I'm feeling like my muscles are wasting away by doing nothing.  I'm on the verge of getting better or worse-I can't tell.  Today I might try a real easy trainer ride and then a brief pool workout depending on how I feel.  If you have any other suggestions, let me know.  Its getting down to the wire for my first tri this weekend.  I'll be totally bummed if I can't do it or at least do it as well as I was hoping to.

Tony - 2 words - tri suit.  Swim, bike and run in the same one.  The only things you might put on wet are socks and maybe your shirt - that is if you don't wear it in the pool, too.  Everyone is doing it.  Yes, tri gear is tight, but so are you, right?

Here's what I do - swim in a tri suit and tri top (separates for some events, unitard for others, depends on distance and how I'm feeling).  I slip into socks, shoes, helmet and sunglasses for the ride (I've abandonded the gloves).  At T2 it's off with the lid and on with a cap as well as slipping out of my cycling shoes and into my running shoes.  I still tie them, though.  I also use a race belt with the number pre-attached.  This eliminates the pinning to the shirt and allows for flexibility in the transistions.  Some events require you to wear your number during the ride, others don't.  I'm going to practice running w/o socks this summer and eventually will abandon those, too.

Aside: As long as your helmet is "certified" by someone and/or is a well known brand (bell, Giro, etc.,) basically if you bought it at a bike shop, it'll pass inspection.

Does tri gear leave little to the imagination?  Yes; but since everyone else is wearing the same type of gear, there's very little gawking.  Oh, never a speedo, though you'll see plenty of those out there, too.

Hey - I did it! ... and, I even got a 2nd place finish in the 50-54 age group.  Amazing! )  Of course, there were only 3 or 4 of us but like the 3rd place finisher said, "I also beat all the women who didn't come today!"  Good point.  It was an awesome race and I'm looking at which one to make #2.  I'd like to do the entire series but the next one is in only 1 month and I really feel like mentally I need longer than that to prepare.  I'm thinking of doing the twilight sprint in the same venue in the end of July and then the Cooter (yes, that's the name of it) Tri in a neighboring town in October.  I figure 3 races for my 1st year would be good.  I actually beat the time I was hoping for by about 12 minutes so I'm pleased (final time 1:33:44).

How do the times and stuff get on my log?  When they post the race results do they automatically upload onto it?  (I wrote down my race thoughts just on my training log while they were fresh and can transfer them over if that's what happens). 

I met some BTers from other parts of Florida so that was pretty cool too.  Thank you all for your encouragement and help.  I know if it wasn't for this website I would not have continued my journey thus far.  THANKS!

Hi guys!

Thanks for all your congrats.  I'm hoping to do a Twilight Run the end of July but am nursing another injury.  Gonna get it checked out tomorrow but think it might be a stress fx.  Meanwhile, I've taken a few days for rest and hope to get in the pool today.  I talked to a friend this weekend who is an Ironman racer and asked him about how to increase my time to be competitive and he said, "One word - BIKE!"  He said that the run (at my age!) can be stressful (which I'm experiencing) and that you can gain more strength and speed by spending more time on the bike.  Do you experienced folks agree?

Tony - I think the alternating "kick/swim" thing is to alternate between swim and kick with a kickboard.  I'm not sure what the "kick on your side" thing is unless it's like in the Total Immersion drills where you lay on your side in the water, extend your arm and kick.  If you can pick the book up at the library or something it will explain it better.  Other than that, I'm clueless.  I bet Doug or Kirk will know...

Nope, I don't know anything about "standard" swimming any more.  I'm a TI guy now.

Speed increases on the bike seems logical.

I tried sending this last night but it obviously didn't work, so here it is again.

Hey gang, I have some TI observations which y'all may have already discovered.  I find that the longer I can go without breathing, the better it gets.  I'm pushing myself to increase from a 3 stroke breather to 5, and maybe more.  I think you get a greater benefit from being in the water in your "vessel" longer.  Also, I had a great little swim workout this evening using the fistgloves for every stroke.  I found that I didn't struggle as much as I used to when using them.

Anyone else have similar TI experiences?  I now have two more people who want to begin TI.  I'm loaning my book out tonight and the DVD a bit later, when it'll be more meaningful.  Thanks again, Tara.