chichitao's group - FULL! (Page 19)

On this lovely Friday, tell me about your bike!  If you have pictures, post them!  I am trying to decide if I am ready to bike shop!  Right now I have a Trek hybrid and will be looking for a road bike next!  The money I had earmarked for a bike went to sodding the front yard a few weeks ago!! 

In the beginning time spent working out is much more important than the intensity.  It's good to build up that base.  And sometimes you need days like you had today just to help your body feel refreshed for future workouts.  Just chalk it up as a good workout day and a sign that your getting better.  Next time you can step up the time or go a little harder.  Good work!

  I don't think I ever really feel exhausted after a workout.  I would not even use the word "tired."  I have said it many times over the past year and I will continue to say it, working out makes me a much much happier mama!!!  If I miss two days in a row, I can feel myself slipping.  I think I will forever battle with bouts of depression since having the boys.  I need to exercise to keep those feelings away!  I also think the busier people are the better they manage time!  Right now I am very limited in my time to train so I try to use it wisely!

You can find info about my bike (and a few pics) on my blog at armchairironman.blogspot.com (sorry, I can't seem to get the link to work...).  Basically, it's a 2006 Quintana Roo Seduza tri bike.  Full carbon frame and forks, Vision aero bars, Dura-Ace and Shimano equipped.  I LOVE it.  I don't have anything to compare it against, but I really do love biking on my bike.  I decided to jump in head first for this bike, because, if I had to learn how to ride a bike again on a road bike, why not learn on a Tri/TT bike?  I don't really plan on being the type of person to do anything where aero bars aren't allowed, so...  If I do, I may look into getting a road bike cockpit set up for my current bike, but that is many years down the line...

If you are looking and don't REALLY care about new, I suggest even looking online.  I got a great deal on my bike by buying it used.  Sometimes, you just get lucky and find someone who is looking to get rid of their bike for whatever reason.  That's what happened for me.  Fully equipped, my bike is around $3000-$3500, but I got it for $1700, because the guy was getting out of tris and just needed the money to recoop for his new road bike...

Edited by LockOut 2010-05-08 7:33 AM

Happy Mothers Day to all the moms out there!  Hope your day was great!! 

Hope everyone has had a great weekend!  We celebrated my daughter's 2nd birthday with our family this weekend which was a lot of fun.  I can't believe my baby is going to be 2 on Wed.!  How time flies.

Got my run in on Saturday and went for a ride this morning and fell!  I am totally discouraged right now and don't know if a tri is for me.  I am thinking that I will maybe continue training, but I am so clumsy on the bike and now I am scared to try again.  I might just train for another 1/2 marathon instead, where my feet are planted on the ground.  Ugh! 

Time to start off a new fresh week.  So how was everyone's weekend?  And hope all the mother's had a great day!

Debbie, sorry to hear about the crash.  Hope you are not hurt.  It can shake your nerves, but I hope you give it another shot.  It does take some time to get fully comfortable on a bike.  If you have a place with little to no traffic, try riding in that area for a while to get the confidence back.  Something I did years ago was to take a bike class/course.  I took a mountain bike class and it really helped me get more comfortable on the bike.  If you have an REI in your area they usually offer a lot of free classes like this.  Or check with your local bike shop as they usually have beginner clinics or riding groups that can offer lots of advice.  Whatever you choose to do though, we will fully support you!

Well, I had my race this Sun and thanks for all the support.  It went very well.  Bike route ended up being a little longer than planned so my goal of 1hr was pretty accurate.  I made it in 1:01:38.  Beat last year by over 3min.  I was upset at first until I found out about the longer route.  So I was actually just about right on target.  Had a few hiccups and things to improve on for the next one but this was a great practice run and a good way to start the year. 

So what are the plans for everyone this week?

Just to give everyone a heads up, I am having minor surgery on Thur afternoon.  I won't be able to workout for 7-10 days though according to the doc (I might have to sneak something easy in), so I am going to be hitting the next 3 days very hard.  Probably doing 2 workouts every day.  Going to swim and run today. 

I am all about starting off on a fresh week!  I have had ZERO motivation the past two weeks.  I first thought it was over training but after really thinking about it I think lifes stresses got to me and have in a way pushed me a littel too far.  My training and eating have gone completely out the window - So long story short... I need a good week this week

My goal is to get three bike rides and three runs with at least 2 of each focusing on hill work as my first race is ALL HILLS.

Hope everyone has a good week!

Weekend was good here.  I did not do much in the way of training though.  I am hoping to get outside for a run this evening.  I am also thinking about playing sick tomorrow to get some stuff done.  Here is my problem.  I work for my dad and my mom watches my boys.  Kinda hard to use a sick day when I am not really sick!  I have done it a few times but have always used one of the kids as an excuse and just spent the day with them.  Tomorrow I am hoping to get some major cleaning done so I might play sick!  If that is the case, I can also get a long run in.  I think it will be on the treadmill due to weather but that is ok.  Not sure about the rest of the week yet. 

Well the last week has been a bit of a whirlwind, even though I was on vacation, I ended having to work, for altogether a couple of days, and wasn't happy about it.  I chose to do the work late in the evenings, so that it didn't interfere too much with my mom's visit(we had a nice time).  I shouldn't feel burnt out after a week off, but I do. 

The run yesterday was fun, and very warm(I have a mild sunburn).  It's not a race anyone can really do for records, but is is fun and 2 of my bootcampers improved on their PB, so yeah!  50,000 people running the streets of Vancouver is crazy, it was just a sea of people.

This week I'll spend prepping for my Tri on Sunday.  Beyond that, I will be training for the marathon in October, and I've signed up to volunteer at IM Canada this year with my Husband.  I don't have plans for any other Tri stuff atm, there are a couple of more local tri's but with 2 of us racing in the family, the fees start to add up, so I may or may not participate.  Thursday night group rides/time trials will start soon and I'm trying to re-arrange my schedule to participate in the long weekend rides.

There just isn't time for everything in life and I find I tend to make my training fit in between everything else because I really want to, but I also really need some down time...it may mean giving up Bootcamp...I dunno

Everything in my life seems like a juggling act for me right now!!  I have not registered for anything other than the marathon in November because I never seem to know what is going to happen on any given weekend.  The big ones sell out around here but I am ok doing some of the smaller things.  I was going to do the 10 mile last weekend just for the fun of it but really had no desire running it with 30,000 other people!  50,000 is even crazier!!  Glad you had fun doing it though.

Every once in awhile I think about getting involved with the local tri groups but just can't commit.  I did join the one and I am really glad I did.  The yearly dues was $35 and I more than made up my dues in savings at the local running store.  I still want to take more advantage of the group but feel bad because I can't get too involved.  I don't have every weekend for group rides or runs.  I can't get to the races to volunteer or support the other club members. 

I have learned I just can't do it all!!

Sandra, glad you enjoyed the race and really cool to see some of your peeps do a PB.  I cannot imagine running with 50k people.  Most I've seen is around 10k and that is just ridiculous. 

Not sure what it is about warming weather, but it seems the warmer it gets the busier our lives get as well.  I think that is one of the big things I have learned about triathlons over the past several years is that everyone has very busy lives and it is truly about how you balance it all and get the most out of it for yourself.  Don't worry about what other people think or expect of you.  Be realistic with your life and your goals and arrange it how you see fit. 

Well, I had a terrible workout yesterday (can't tell you the last time I had one go this badly).  It kinda shook my confidence a bit, but today is a new day and I am ready to put it behind me.  I am supposed to go ride with my bike group on a long, hilly route that I have not done in a while.  I am a little nervous b/c they are very fast, but I want to start riding with them more to force myself to work harder to try and keep up.  I realized after my race on Sun I need to focus more on my bike/run and less on the swim.  While I am seeing great results on the swim, I don't think the time I invest in it is showing that much in return.  I did my swim in 7min, while we had an olympic swimmer race and who did the swim in 4:10.  So that is only 3min behind an OLYMPIAN (and he was by far the fastest swimmer)!  But if I improve on the bike/run I can shave 5-10min off or more. 

Hope everyone is having a good week so far!

Tim - I almost could have written that post - I am starting to see how hard it is to balance all three sports.  I also have been focusing laot on the swim because I had zero experience but I am starting to think that i have gotten the swim to where I can hold my own but I really need to focus on THE BIKE!!  I have a group that i can ride with on Sundays but they are all so damn good that I am really intimidated to ride with them and always feel like I am holding them back.  These guys are all Ironman finishers and Boston qualifiers.  I just need to suck it up and work with them to make myslef better but I totally understand where you are coming from with being nervous.  I guess its kind of like anything in life - in order to be succesful you need to surround yourself with successful people.

I am going to meet with this group tomorrow morning for a "Trainer Workout" they do in this guys garage at 5AM.  20 Minutes of hard bike on trainer, 10 minute hard 1 mile run and repeat....  We will see how it goes

As far as the bad workout you had I think that is just going to happen everyonce in a while.  You have been pushing pretty hard lately and from past experience I think your body just says "hold up a second" and you have those workouts like you did.  Hopefully you can bounce back and kick it in the today!

  Don't feel bad!  If you really feel that bad, come take one of my boys!!  That is great you found a soccer league!  I wish my husband would look for one.  I don't think a once a week league will really affect the tri workouts.  I would keep training as you have planned and go from there.  You might decide to take a rest or an easy day on Wednesday though.  Have fun with it.  Good luck to your husband with the job interview.  How did he think it went?

Yes Erica definitely keep us posted.  And about the weight, it does get frustrating at times.  The double edged sword is that the closer you are to your goal weight, the harder it is to get those pounds off.  When I was up in 220s the weight would come off much easier, but now that I am closer to 200 it is a tougher battle.  One thing you might try is to take some measurements.  Measure the waist/hips/chest then do it once a week or every 2 weeks.  This way even if you don't see weight loss (maybe you are putting on muscle) you should see a size reduction and that should help with the motivation. 

Also remember that nutrition is the biggest key in weight loss.  For weight loss, you probably want to stay in the 1200-1800cal range.  Do you keep track of what you eat?  It is a good exercise to do that for a while if you aren't.  It's a pain to keep up with it long term, but after you have done it for a week or two you become much better and realizing portion sizes and what you should and should not be eating.

And by all means, play some soccer!  Do what you love because it will keep you that much more motivated. 

So I hope everyone is doing well this week.  I am having a "do as I say and not as I do" kind of week.  I decided to shut it down this week and take a break.  I hope to get back at it sometime next week, but I will keep checking in on everyone. 

What is your biggest fear/concern about doing a triathlon?

Thanks for the encouragement!  I think you're doing the right thing too by listening to your body and taking time off.

And I've been counting my calories pretty carefully.  I've been taking in between 1200-1600/day, and I've been eating mostly fruits and veggies, too.  When Ryan eats pasta, I've been cooking a chicken breast to put in it, so my pasta portions are super small.  We went shopping at Trader Joe's the other day just so I could buy a bunch of healthy food, too.  I just hate the idea of gaining muscle, because I don't want muscle, I want to just lose mass, you know?  I've had PLENTY of years with having muscular legs thanks to soccer, so I just want thin legs instead.  Ughhh.

I do get to go home this weekend though to see my parents, and that always makes me feel better because my dad would notice even if I lost a pound.  He's so good at that.  But being "thin" in my Italian family means you're UNDER 200 pounds (my starting weight was 180), so I don't know that that's much of an accomplishment!

That's a hard question.  I think my biggest fear right now is just that I don't know what to expect, since I've never done one!  I also am afraid that I won't be very fast, because I'm wayyyy too competitive for my own good.  Still trying to get used to the idea that this is more for fun than to win.

I am in the same boat as you trying to lose some muscle weight.  I too played soccer growing up and one year in college.  Continued to play in rec leagues for a couple of years but then stopped.  So i've got those same thick legs and have been trying to thin them down ever since.  Even when I was in great soccer shape I was still in the 195-205 range.

It sounds like you are doing well then with the food part of it. 

What type of workouts are you mostly doing?  I've found that sprint, hill, interval (ie, power) workouts can cause muscle/weight gains...while going for long slow workouts actually helps you lose weight/fat better.

Rather than trying to get rid of muscle weight, you may want to keep the strength and work more on elongating the muscles and reducing girth.  When we exercise we create tiny tear in our muscles and if you don't do proper stretching the muscle becomes shorter which creates girth.  The best thing for that is yoga, where flexibility is the focus, and you work on elongating those muscles.   Weight is never the best measure of where you are at, definately rely on inches, how your clothes feel.  Weight can fluctuate by more than a few pounds within a day or overnight, or at different times of the month depending on what foods you eat or what hormones are at work. Some foods will increase the amount of water you retain and most often when you see a big fluctuation in your weight in a short period, it is water weight.  Don't let that scale rule your life and determine how you feel.

Hey all, good news, I have internet at work again, so I will be on more often!  Not as much as before, obviously, but I'll be around  

For weight loss, I have a few things to say.  Take my advice for what it's worth.  I'm not trained in anything (yet...), but I have lost a fair bit of weight in the past year.  First, I find that a lot of people actually don't eat ENOUGH when they are trying to lose weight.  I know it sounds counter productive, but it's true.  Your body adapts to the amount of calories that you put in.  I don't have an idea of numbers, but when you drastically reduce the number of calories you put in, your body goes into starvation mode and starts storing the energy for when it thinks it might need it down the line.  Again, I have no training to back this up, but I know that I have heard this many times, and I have found it very true in my experience.  When I was doing P90x, I couldn't eat all the food that they had laid out for me in the nutrition guide, but I was still losing a lot of weight.  This is something to keep in mind.  

Another note about the workouts...  I am currently reading "The Triathlete's Training Bible" by Joe Freil.  It is a very interesting read, even though I'm only about 50 pgs in.  He says that, and again, this is all hearsay, that your body burns calories from fat when you are working out aerobically, and that changes to glycogen and glucose when you start working anaerobically.  That is why all those machines at the gym have the low heart rate range for fat loss.  I can't say I have had this work for me yet, as I haven't tried, but...

So a bit of news.  As you guys know, I had a swim lesson this week for the tri that I'm competing in in July (2 months away...  can't wait!).  Basically, he watched me and 3 other swim for an hour, and it turns out I don't know how to swim.  His biggest points for me (and everyone else who was there) was to rotate your body every stroke.  Exaggerated, it's bellybutton to the wall with every stroke, while your head stays fixed down.  His analogy was racing sailboats.  The clippers always are at about a 45 degree angle from the water.  I swim like a barge.  That is something I have to work on.  He also said that many people (me included) stroke too often.  They don't wait for their stroking hand to almost return to a full extension before starting their next stroke.  This is apparently much more efficient, and faster.  Basically, he said you'd go faster by doing less strokes and using less effort for each one, so it's really win-win-win.  I'm going to go for a long swim tonight, and really focus on all that he said.  It's going to be hard to re-learn how to swim!

As I am new to tris, I am also very worried about not knowing what to expect, but also the transitions!  I have been stressing out about them for about a week now!  I really need to practice those!  Any helpful tips from the seasoned vets?

In other news, I just signed up for a weight loss competition at work today.  It is also 2 months long, so hopefully it gets me down to a respectable race weight for my tri.  right now, the winner gets about $400.  You guys need to really get on me to keep me going! 

Pete, good to hear about the internet and swimming.  Yes, for tri swimming the easier you can glide through the water and save energy for the rest of the race the better off you will be. 

On transitions, we can discuss this more in detail later...but here is a great BT video that I used to help get some ideas on setting up your transition area:

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=1488

I really liked the sock idea and have been using it in every race since.