Hokies 1st Timer's Group - FULL (Page 19)

Jeff...some impressive numbers last weekend. How did it all feel?

Amanda...I'm having pool crowding issues too. The whole swimming thing is a bit of an issue in general   Which half marathons have you done...do you have a favorite? Hope your weather is ok...looked like a nasty storm band going through up there.

Christi...how are things with you? When is your tri?

Do you guys use athlinks.com? Neat website...keeps track of race finishes for you. It has my running races and the two duathlons...only one missing is my very first race, a one mile fun-run.

Picked up my packet and bib for the Sarasota half today. Weather looks good...knee is holding up, but still a little weird. Another half next weekend, then I can shuffle up the training and focus more on the tri 

Melissa,

My body feels great - thanks for asking.  Little stiff last Sunday but by Monday I was fine.  I'm ready for an Olympic distance race simulation this weekend.

I do have an account on athlinks.com and use it sometimes to look at race results.  I'll have to add you as a friend.  It is a neat website.

Good luck with your race this weekend.

Well kind of, just not right down the middle. I don't think you could pay me to swim down it, too many rocks!

I know you were also having scheduling issues, so maybe you could swap weekends too if it works better for your training?

~amanda

Is that a challenge?

I actually run way less than last year. I was clocking 40 miles weeks. Then I got hurt. I learned my lesson and listen to my body now - I seem to do better with lower mileage. Right now I'm at 20 per week, but would like to gradually work up to 25-30 range.

~Amanda

Pool crowding - the bummer is that I don't feel comfortable enough swimming right now to share a lane (though I will if somebody asks).

These are my half marathons that aren't all exactly 13.1 miles (not in order of when I ran them). Mystery Mountain is my favorite for the trail. Madison might be my favorite for the road because it is my PR (2:09). I also really like Tupelo because it started in the dark at 5am (necessary in August in Mississippi...) and was really small and low key (they grabbed Mcdonalds burgers for the finish line food, which I don't eat beacuse I'm vegetarian!). Tucson was also really pretty and a downhill course, but I was injured and stopped for a beer at mile 11. Chicago was also pretty cool (2nd fastest time for a half), but it was super crowded and I'm more of a trail gal.

- Myrtle Beach (first race ever)
- Mountain Top (trail)
- Tupelo 14.2 miles
- Mystery Mountain (trail 12 miles, but I lump it with the halfs)
- Tucson
- Kennesaw Locomotive
- Chicago (registered for the full marathon but dropped at mile 13.1 - I count it unofficially)
- Chattanooga Stage Races, 18 miles (trail)
- Fat 50k, 16 miles (trail)
- Red Top Rumble, 11.5 miles (trail)
- Madison, WI
- Twisted Ankle (trail)

How about you?

~Amanda

Somebody please make me ride my bike tonight! I can't bare to get on the trainer, and I am patiently awaiting the clocks to change this weekend!

Amanda,

Just kidding on the river thing!!

Actually last weekend I did the HIM distance (minus 3 miles on the bike, shhhhh).

I plan on doing an Olympic distance race simulation this weekend to stay with the "Hokie Virtual TRI Weekend" spirit.  I'll be interested in seeing what I can do.  It will be hard to race the 1st 5 miles of the bike because I'll be on roads where I can't get on my aerobars and there are stop lights.  But during the swim and run I'll go with Olympic distance intensity.  Should set a good baseline for comparison as I get closer to the actual race (which is May 15th). 

My guess is that the swim will be average (I'm really not in good swim shape).  Bike will be tough to gauge because of the conditions and the run should be better than my previous race/training efforts.  We'll see....  I'm looking forward to it.

BTW: If you want to do yours next weekend that is just fine.

No challenge - just wishful thinking!!!

Roxie assured me that she would make it happen!!  Now get on your bike!!

Hi guys!  I figured out that when I'm really tired, I don't have the energy to surf the web and blog.    Sorry to have dropped off a bit.  Hopefully I can get some conditioning built up to handle more than one workout a day and life can go back to normal.

Melissa ~ Thanks for asking.....doing good.  I'm actually following a plan now, from TriNewbies.com.  I liked it because it included walking in the training.  I am 13 weeks out from my first sprint tri on June 11th.   I hadn't heard of the website you mentioned and will go check it out.  I also use Mapmyfitness.com because I can use my phone to track my walks/rides/runs using GPS.

Tomorrow I'll finish my virtual race with a 3 mile run and 5.5 mile bike ride.  

I am very lucky at my pool.  I can usually get a lane without trouble in the deep, short end (40m laps).  If I want to swim on the 60m lap side, I would have to share a lane, so I usually go short.  I also try to swim in the morning between 8-10am, which is the slowest time during the day.  

Jeff was that you asking to be pushed to ride your bike this weekend?  Whoever it was, take your bike somewhere new and ride! I'd stop for a scone on the way home too.  

Keep on keeping on....

Christi

Hey Christi,

Alright, you tired of hearing me say this but this is from Joe Friel:

"Consistency results from moderation. Consistent training means you don’t miss workouts – ever. Missed workouts are the result of too much: too much intensity, too much duration, too much working out and too much stuff in your life. If you train (and live) moderately you will be consistent. If you are consistent you will race faster. It’s not how hard the workouts are. It’s how consistently you do them."

Have fun with the bike and run portion of the "Hokie Virtual Tri". 

It was Amanda that needed encouragement to get out on the bike.  If she doesn't do it soon she is going have to put training wheels on that thing. 

I am putting on my socks as we speak and getting ready to throw the bike on the trainer. I am riding this morning!

I will second the 'moderation' aspect of training. I have been doing everything in moderation since January, and so far so good. I miss swim workouts only when the pool is closed. I have been a bit slack on the bike lately, but that was because of construction crews at my house and not feeling well this week. I know I know, I am making excuses! But the important thing is I will be on the bike within the next 10 minutes!

Redemption!!

I rode for 1 hour. It was at least 12 miles, but I don't know for sure because my cyclocomputer is not working. The magnet/fork assembly seems to be working, because the little green light comes on when the back wheel spins. And the digital monitor seems to be working because you can scroll through the menus, see the digits, etc. But two don't seem to be 'talking' to each other - when I ride, the numbers on the digital monitor don't change.

this just started happening. Any thoughts? I'm thinking the batteries are getting low, just not low enough yet to outwrite stop working.

~Amanda

And I just had an 'Aha!' moment. I am already planning a shorter trail run Saturday (~10 miles) and bike/run brick on Sunday. So I will do my swim on Monday when the pool is open again in the mornings. That way I can participate in our tri weekend, this weekend!

~Amanda

I can't imagine doing a race longer than sprint distances.  I don't like the amount of time it takes to do all three portions.  It motivated me to jog vs walk, so that I could finish sooner.  Lets see if I change my mind on that somewhere down the road.

Christi

Amanda,

I don't have one so I'm not certain.  I know prior to getting my Garmin I had a bike computer that was similar to what you are describing (i.e.. magnets mounted on the front fork and wheel),  The magnets had to be aligned perfectly for it to work properly.

What I suggest you do is take the exact message you posted on this thread and post it on the main board here at BT.  Make sure you mention the make and model.  There will be a much bigger audience reading that thread and there is bound to be one person that has the same device as you.  Give that a shot and see what happens.  People are helpful and friendly here.

Alrighty then... we will be counting on you this weekend!!

Christi,

It is always a challenge for me to figure out a schedule that allows me to fit the training into my life.  I do give it a lot of thought.  I find that if I don't plan well workouts will get dropped and in the past I would always try and make up for missed workouts.  That was a mistake because I would end fatigued.  With the plan I'm on the sequence of the workouts makes a huge difference in how my body recovers.  As a result if I miss a workout I just let it go now.  I don't dig a bigger hole for myself.

The key of course is to not miss workouts by having a plan fits into your life.  Be flexible.

Here are a couple examples to help illustrate my point.

1) The "Hokie Virtual Tri".  I wanted to do the HIM distance for the "event".  We picked a date based upon everyones schedule.  It just so happens that on that particular week I was in a recovery week on my plan with a larger volume of work looming the next week.  The last thing I wanted to do was start a new higher volume week trying the shed the fatigue of doing a 2K swim, 56 mile bike and 13 mile run the weekend before.  Could I have done it - yes.  However, for me the quality of the workouts the next week would have suffered.  So I opted to do the HIM distance the weekend before (last weekend) and do an Olympic distance "Virtual Tri" this weekend.  Problem solved.

2) With the plan I'm currently on I have one "Easy Day" during normal weeks and two "Easy Days" during a recovery week.  The plan says that I should do those on Mondays.  I choose to treat my "Easy Days" as "poker chips".  I can cash them in when I need the cash (BTW: they expire in the week that they are issued - I can't carry them forward).  So now if life gets in the way on a Thursday rather than Monday or if I feeling really, really fatigued I'll cash in an "Easy Day".

Christi,

Ha.. Ha.. Well, you never know what will happen.  Just focus on getting ready for that 1st sprint tri. 

Personally for me I don't like the pain involved with going really, really hard.  I'm not kidding.  I would rather swim 3000 meters on Steady than swim 400 meters as hard as I can.  I don't like that pain.  Same goes for running, much rather run 13 miles on Steady than a 5K flat out.  Plus, I'm not that fast.  I don't have an engine designed for drag racing!!!  So I think the longer distances suit me better.

Hey Team,

Check out Christi's training log.  1st to finish the virtual tri.  Here's to you Christi.

Christi, you rock! Not only did you do you do your virtual tri between Thursday and Friday, you also threw in some bonus bike and karate time on Thursday. Wow!

My training schedule this weekend will be busy, but a relatively light load to ensure I get all the sports in. Planning trail run Sat, bike/run brick Sun, and swim/bike (a.m./p.m.) Mon.

I REALLY need to work in some sport-specific strength training. I keep saying I will do it, but never do. I have seen plenty of routines out there for triathletes that depend on body weight and functional movements (perfect for me since I can do these at home), but I never pull the trigger! Does anybody else have problems working that into their schedule? I have the time, just not the motivation.

~Amanda

Jeff - I'm going to try the new batteries, and if that doesn't work email the friend who gave it to me (he is a serious cyclist and gets all kinds of free stuff from different vendors).

I have a Garmin 205 for running, and for cycling outside. It is 3+ years old and will need to be replaced soon. Do you have a Garmin that can work indoors on the trainer? Which Garmin do you use? I would like to start looking at power and cadence, but my Garmin doesn't do either of those things (just distance and time) - I know cadence requires the footpod, but I'm not sure how power is measured. Same way?

When I get a new Garmin or similar device, I want to make sure it will fill all my needs for running and cycling.

~Amanda