Destination MoP Group is FULL (of motivated life jugglers) (Page 19)

Sorry, I don't have good recovery advice.  I'm one who doesn't have a problem scheduling off days.  Today for example, I took a short walk, but that's it as far as activity goes.

I'm wondering if anyone has advice on running two days in a row.  I'm considering adding a 4th day to my run schedule.  My run is really poor.  Partially this is due to being so new to it.  It is also the most difficult for me due to my weight and the fact that I hate getting really hot.  I figure that in the cooler weather I should really take advantage and try increasing my miles.  Since I'm so slow, it's tough to increase with just 3 days.    But if I do 4 days, 2 would be in a row.  Do you do an easier or shorter run on the second day? 

I usually do the same run for each of my 3 runs.  I know ideally I should have a long run, but I'm on the treadmill and pressed for time a bit.  I've been getting a bit faster and feeling pretty good at my current run/walk intervals of 3min run/1min walk.  I repeat this 11 times for a total of 44 minutes.  Add 5 min warmup walk and 5 mins warmdown walk and I'm close to an hour of exercise.  I will be moving up to 4min run/1min walk x 9 this week.

I finally took my road bike out for the first time since last Summer.  Got in 12 miles before the gear cable on the rear derailleur slipped & left me in 12th gear.  Luckily the front one is o.k., so I could switch to 6th gear, but the wind was brutal, and the child seat on my bike acts like a parachute.

It was a nice ride on the Interurban trail along I-5.  I was hoping for 30 miles, but only made 20.  I'll definitely do this ride again, once I get my bike fixed properly.

Hey there fellow MOP's,

Andrea- Great job on your tri!  Always exciting to see the numbers improve.  Are you making plans for your next one? You know you may be hooked.

Didn't quite make my goals this week.  Just couldn't (well not really couldn't), just didn't get in the second swim.  Life kinda got in the way. Our son had his wisdom teeth out Friday and he has been less then pleasant.  You think I would have been glad to get away to the gym for that swim(ha,ha,ha).  But will try again next week.

Hope everyone has a great week ahead, and everyone's families are well.

-Yvette

I recommend you vary your treadmill workouts so you lessen the risk of an injury. I find the same repetitive motion tends to hurt me so I never do the same treadmill workout in a week. So, with 4 in one week just make sure you say, do hills/incline on day 1, flat and longer on day 2, speed and recovery on day 3 and then inclines on day 4.  If the inclines are the toughest workout then give yourself a day off before and after that workout.

Indoor tris seem to be done around here and I probably won't see any tris around here until June. So I will focus on running races (to motivate me) until then. I am registered for a 5k in mid March. I'm eyeing another on May 1st. I might do a repeat of my first race from last year 3.5miles in late May.

Andrea - I'd agree with what Joanne said.  You're probably better off varying your runs a bit.  What I'd suggest if you want to do more runs is to do some shorter ones.  My short run is currently around 30 minutes, whereas my long run is over an hour.  Maybe think about upping the intensity of the shorter run, but leave the longer run with the same run/walk divisions as you're currently doing.

So far my rest week is going well.  Out of 3 days I've had 2 rest days ;-)

Andrea, You might want to check this plan out.
 http://www.halhigdon.com/5K%20Training/5-Knovice.htm

It might be worth increasing your running interval times to 4 minutes, but shorten the overall workout time. 
Also,  general recommendations are to increase your run time/decrease your walk time, and not worry about speed. Speed will come when you have a good base for distance.
 

Thanks for the advice. I'm just never sure how to judge running. I understand that some recommend running so that you could converse. I can do that now to some extent. Early on there was no way I could squeeze out more than a word or two. I'm not huffing and puffing most of the time. I don't feel confident about pushing myself. This is probably part of why I am still doing intervals when I know that I can run at least 2.5 miles without walking. It's partially that little voice in my head causing doubt that I can continue running. I'm not sure what I think will happen if I do push myself...

I had a good run today. I increased both the speed (slightly just .1 on the treadmill) and the run interval (from 3r/1w x 11 to 4r/1w x 9). It felt good and I was happy to find that neither the pace nor the interval was too tough. But it also left me wondering if I'm too easy on myself when it comes to running.

So I'm left wondering just how quickly I might want to get rid of the walk breaks or really what I want. I still feel so large to run. I'm carrying a lot of extra weight. Maybe it's a bit of an excuse???

First, you're clearly not too large to run, since you ARE running! So, give yourself credit where it's due!
Here's an idea: Ask yourself why you want to stop. Sometimes, when I'm running and I want to stop, I ask myself "Why? Do I need to or do I just want to? Can I push it for one more minute (or to the next light post)" Often, by the time I'm done asking myself those questions, I've added another minute to my time.
When you are running intervals, are you watching the clock and waiting for it to hit the magic number? Can you run with music, and run for the length of a song? then Increase it to 2 songs? Can you run on an indoor track? That way, you can run by the number of laps, instead of time. One day, if you run 5 laps, go for 6 the next.

I don't know- just some random thoughts. And always remember, any day you get out there, is one day that you are healthier.
 

I'm so envious, I could cry We had a high temp of 20 here today- with wind. 

Hello!!!! So just wanted to say I thimk i'm actually getting bettet at swimming...which is by far the weakest area I have. I get so many comments about looking graceful when I swim but I am slow as christmas...yried doing two swims a week considtently to try to get ready. 3.5 weeks until my first tri...very nervous any suggestions on making my swim time bettet.Andrea-congrats on the second tri and reaching your goals...keep up the good work. You are inspiring me.

I am in the same boat (pardon the pun). I feel relaxed and aligned in the pool. I breathe from both sides, but my time is rather slow. My first tri is also less than a month away so I doubt I will get much faster by then, but when I look at my 100yd pace (1:55) (we have to submit this to get placed in the correct order) I'm in the "novice" category when I would rather be in the "average". Right now I'm swimming 3/4 to a mile distance without stopping so I'm wondering if on race day when I only have to go 300 yds will I be a lot faster? Will the adrenaline kick in and I should adjust my time so I'm placed further ahead? So, I have a confidence issue and because I'm competitive and old, how could I really be a novice? Wait, maybe it's because I've never done a tri or swam in a race since I was 10!  I understand the nervousness because I'm nervous too.
Congrats to Andrea and others who are doing so great! You all are so inspirational.
Thanks!

Hi Jugglers,

Phew... just finished up my rough patch in February.  I've definitely fallen behind on my goals for the month.  I was a little optimistic about my ability to get in the training during the last couple of weeks.  And also, if I ever talk about mixing a half-marathon in with work, please someone smack me around.  I was very fortunate not to be able to sign up for that.  It would have been a train wreck.  I guess to be on this board, or maybe doing triathlons in general, it does require a certain amount of desire to suspend or set aside reality-based obstacles. 

Which brings me to a idea and I'd love to hear what folks think.  I've been reflecting on the importance in triathlons to have the confidence to believe you'll do well by whatever standards you set for yourself.  Part of that confidence comes from proper training... that is, if you follow a training plan that has been put together by experts, you can be more confident that you'll "do well" in what you trained for.  But there's another piece of that confidence, which has to do with how we face and embrace experiences that are new to us, especially ones that in the past where we might have mental roadblocks.  Triathlons might be a physical manifestation of this situation (and a simpler one), but there are lots of others in life.  Do any of you see taking on triathlons as "training" for breaking through these roadblocks in other parts of our lives? 

Back to the more mundane.  Snow here this morning.  50 tomorrow.  Spring feels like it is trying to fight its way out of winter here.  Hope it wins!

Have a great day everyone!  Looks like a spin class for me today :-)

Stu

One quick comment on the swim.  Being relaxed is the key.  Pace comes with practice and more laps (perhaps doing more sprint work if you aren't currently doing that).  But the best swimmers are incredibly relaxed when they swim.  Also 1:55 is a perfectly good pace for 100.  1:30 would be considered a fairly good pace (top half anyway), so over a 300 distance swim, you're only talking about a difference of 1:15, which is very easy to make up on the other legs (even the transitions).  So, my advice would be to see if you can improve because it is fun to get better at swimming, but from a race perspective, the time is not so much the issue.  What is probably more important is to come out of the water not being exhausted from the swim.

Also, one other quick piece of advice... don't go out too fast in the swim on race day.  It is pretty easy to spike the heart rate.  Relaxed is the way to go... it is not only faster over the full length of the swim, but also puts you in better position for the other legs.

Stu

We had an ice strom Sunday- then snow yesterday. So the kids are home from school today, and are stir crazy from being home all weekend. We are grasping for things to do.

No workout yesterday for me as the Baby was not feeling well and was in my arms most of the day. Today I have a nice long relaxing trainer ride planned with all the kids in the basement.

Stu, on the thought- I think yes, triathlon is part of training for overcoming other obstacles. I think that is part of why most triathletes continue to challenge themselves- longer distance races, qualifying goals, etc. If you keep overcoming these physical obstacles it builds your confidence in all areas.

Winter, I strongly dislike you. Hard to believe I was running oustide Saturday on clear roads with sunshine. ICK. The ice is so bad here that many people are without power. Not us. We got lucky.

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I'm signing my husband and I up for our first adventure race today- May 14th, 36 mile bike, 6 mile canoe, then backpack 8 miles carrying 20% of your bodyweight. Here's hoping we make it out of that race alive.

Stu, I'm glad you are bringing up the topic of "roadblocks" and confidence to over come them. Although I haven't done a tri yet, I know the feeling of meeting goals in duathlons and running events and feel wholeheartedly that this confidence leads into other areas of my life. I never finish a race anywhere near the top, but I manage to usually finish where I expect to and to me that's the victory.  A clear example of how this translates to other areas is I've found myself in tough tennis matches when I'm playing poorly and hoping my opponent goes through a rough patch. Instead of hoping they falter I turn it around and remind myself that when I've been at mile 12 and hurting I've made it to the half finish line. I remind myself that I can do it and take a deep breath and regain the confidence. I don't always pull out a victory in the match but I end knowing I gave it my all and have a mental list of the things I need to work on. This is the fun of sports.
I was watching a college tennis match the other day and one of the players was going through a mentally tough time and the coach said (you can coach in college tennis) "this adversity will make you stronger" and this kid took it to heart, tried not to worry about the next few close line calls, and pulled out a victory. 
We can all do it.  All the big and little stumbling blocks (like even the nasty weather!) are times when we get better. I think the trick is to understanding how to balance the desire to get in better shape, improve our skills and times, and not overdo it and not ignore the numerous other important things in our lives. Having the positive mental attitude seems to help me put lots of things into perspective.
The thing I'm most working on is switching as quickly as possible from the negative mental state (e.g. "I may not make it") to positive (e.g. "the end is near"). Again, I think this will become easier with the more challenges I get through. 
Can't wait to read what others think!
Joanne

I'm really enjoying reading people's opinions on overcoming adversity.  I think things you do in your life always translate into other areas.  I used to do a martial art (jiu jitsu) and got to a reasonable standard.  One of the things that somehow has stuck with me is that in gradings it's not acceptable to admit that you're tired (regardless of how obvious it may be).  I have strong memories of thinking that I had nothing left, and then pushing myself to do the next thing and being amazed that I could actually do it.  The response to any "order" coming from the examiner was "Yes Sensei", regardless of how you actually felt about it.

When we were training for our first triathlon last year my husband and I tried out doing all 3 events in one day.  We took it all very gently and gave ourselves loads of time, but I still remember getting off the bike and starting the run.  We were so slow and tired, but were determined that having done the rest we were going to finish the run.  The strongest thought in my head was "Yes Sensei", because I've learned that no matter how tired I think I am, there's always just a little bit more in there.

Now, my husband and his training partner refer to me as the "energiser bunny".  I may not be the fastest person out there, but I just keep going.  It's not going to win me any competitions, but it really does help me achieve my goals, regardless of what I may have previously thought to be my limitations*.

*this time last year I hadn't even thought of doing a triathlon, and if you'd suggested it I'd have thought you were insane.  Now I'm actually considering a HIM at some point in the forseeable future...

"Which brings me to a idea and I'd love to hear what folks think.  I've been reflecting on the importance in triathlons to have the       confidence to believe you'll do well by whatever standards you set for yourself.  Part of that confidence comes from proper                  training... that is, if you follow a training plan that has been put together by experts, you can be more confident that you'll          "do well"    in what you trained for.  But there's another piece of that confidence, which has to do with how we face and                 embrace  experiences that are new to us, especially ones that in the past where we might have mental roadblocks.                    Triathlons might be a  physical manifestation of this situation (and a simpler one), but there are lots of others in life.  Do any       of you see taking on triathlons as "training" for breaking through these roadblocks in other parts of our lives?"

I've been thinking about this question since you posted it, Stu. The answer is most definitely yes, for me. This past summer, I was in a terrible working environment. The regional managers of the company had made it very clear that their goal was to eliminate my job.  I was faced with daily pressure to justify my position, while continuing to do my job.
Every day, before I walked into the office, I would stop at the door and say to myself, "You just completed a 25 mile bike ride last night, up Krumkill hill. You can handle anything they throw at you."
On a funnier note, whenever the regional manager would come into the office, and give me a hard time, I'd picture his pasty white, overweight, flabby body in a wet suit. It made me laugh every time

Today, I am in a much healthier work environment. But it is still extremely stressful, because I deal with life and death situations every day. Sometimes, when I'm in a stressful, new or difficult situation, I'll close my eyes for a second, picture the toughest hill I've ever rode up,  and know I have the strength and patience to handle the issue.
So, yes, Tri training has helped me  immensely in life.

Edited by slow turtle 2011-02-25 6:15 AM

Really wonderful posts.  Thank you all. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbMOnyeVE-4

Today is the key.

I'm going to try to put together a few posts this weekend on "how to get faster" at each of the disciplines.  These will be my own general guidelines and I encourage everyone to add in their own tips that they think will help. 

We're also coming to the end of February.  I've had a good week, but I dug myself a pretty good hole this month, so I'll be falling short on my goals.  I knew it when I wrote them, but they were still the right goals for me for Feb... just the wrong goals for my schedule.  How did you all do?

On to March and maybe some Spring weather too!

Stu


Edited by juneapple 2011-02-25 8:21 PM

Are we doing March goals??

I'm freaking out about my upcoming half marathon- April 17th. I got an email letting me know I had 8 weeks left and I panicked.

Today is a scheduled 7 mile run so....we'll see how that goes.

Stu, I am interested to see what you have to say about going faster. I am trying to do interval work to help speed up my run (ahem, slow jog). Shorter distance I can speed it up but I seem to have this slow long distance pace I developed last year and I can't seem to break it. Luckily I'm not known for my speed.

This race is really my A-race; it's the only new distance I am doing this year. So, any tips? New distances are always nerve wracking.

March goals would be to stick with my training plan for my half marathon (which includes 4 runs a week, which is hard for me to fit in).

Anne - Yep, the half marathon is a big step up if your longest distance has been a 10K, but don't psych yourself out before you get to the starting line.  It took me 3 tries to finally get it right (meaning I was happy with my race for me) and my first one was really not pretty (and I think contributed to an injury that dogged me for a year).  As I'm sure you know the key thing for you is getting the mileage up, but balancing that with not adding too much too fast.  That is not going to be easy and I can see why you're a bit panicked.  I think if I were in your shoes I'd try to build my long run up to 10-12 mi with the longest one 2 weeks before the race and try to add most of the run volume in the other 3 runs each week with two of them working up to 5 mi - 10K distance, if possible.  That will make for a difficult last 3 miles, but lowers the risk of injury.   But REALLY pay attention to how your body is taking to it... better safe than sorry. 

Day of race, I'd mentally try to be as loose as possible for the first 4.5 miles or so, with the idea that when you actually focused in on the race, you'd already be 1/3 done and have less than 9 miles to go and try to think of that as your "race".  But that may just be the kind of mental games I play with myself and may not work for you :-)

The great thing about going up to this distance is how shorter races will feel once you've done this.  My parallel in the real world was flying.  After I flew to China, the cross-country flights seemed like a piece of cake.  But it did take me awhile to learn how to prepare and pace myself for the China flight.  Experience does count.  If your long term goal is to be able to feel confident about running a HM, consider this upcoming one as a learning experience, both for the race itself and for the training necessary to prepare for it.

btw, feel free to come back to me with sage advice this Fall when I'm all panicked about my first marathon.  I still can't even envision that one!

Stu

Thanks, Stu. My training plan has me doing just what you described. Right now my hardest part is fitting in all of the short runs. My legs are toast today, the seven miles were horrible mainly because we got 6 inches of snow yesterday morning, then it got cleared, and then people cleared sidewalks/drives into the street, and it froze. I slipped and fell about 1 mile into the run and it HURT.

Hope everyone else had a better training day today.

Hi Jugglers,

Since a few of you have run races coming up in the not so distant future, I figured we could start with the run.  So here are a few thoughts.  For each discipline, I'll divide the suggestions into training and technique / physics.  I'll also throw in a couple of "triathlon tips" which apply more to the discipline in the context of the triathlon, rather than just on its own.

How to Increase Your Speed - Running

Training

For most people new to running (myself included), the tendency is to train the same way when you start out.  Say a run at lunch or before work, perhaps even the same course, maybe MWF.  If you were like me, you might have run 3 5Ks a week while training for a 5K thinking practicing a 5K distance would be good practice for running a 5K.  As it turns out, while that is probably good for scheduling, it is sub-optimal for preparation.  What you want to do is mix it up a bit.

[Distances below are training for 5K or Sprint Tri - 10K or Olympic would be approx. double]

Step 1:  Replace one of your runs with a long run that is about 150% of your average length run.  For example, if you're running three 3 mi runs/week, make one of those a 5mi run.  If you can't run 5 miles straight, add in some walking until you can.  All of those runs can be at conversational pace - meaning you could carry on a conversation with someone as you trained.  The goal is to build a base and get your muscles to a level where you can add other types of training.  Getting in that long run will also make the mid-distance runs seem short!!

Step 2:  Once you're solid on those 3 runs / week, add one shorter slow run that is maybe 75% of your average length run.  Weird, eh?  Possibly the day before your long run.  This run would be at a pace 1-2 min/mi slower than your conversational run.  It's working on a different set of muscles ("slow twitch") and it is adding a couple of more miles / week.  As it turns out, you'll often be using these muscles more at the end of a triathlon too!!

After adding step 2, you should be at about 13 mi / week (3 / 3 / 2 / 5) for 5K/Sprint training or 24 mi / week for 10K OLY (6 / 6 / 4 / 8).  This would be a decent base to achieve before getting into speedwork.  As mentioned previously, remember the 10% rule - try not to add more than 10% distance in a single week.  Long-term consistency and avoiding injury are the keys.  This is not overnight stuff.

Step 3:  Add in intervals.  If you can, this would be a 5th training day, but with Tri training and our juggling lives, I draw the line at 4x week (and that's a good week for me).  So you can either alternate this weekly with the slow runs or replace one of your conversational runs 2-3x month.  The way to do interval training is to run say one lap around the track really hard and then one lap recovery (somewhere between your conversational run and your slow run).  Treadmills are great for this.  If you're training for 5K/Springs, you might do .12 mi intervals, for 10K/OLY, maybe .25.  Set an interval approach that you can do for 1.5-2 miles (meaning you can keep up both the fast and slow pace for the full 1.5-2.0 miles).  Make sure to cool down (easy run) and stretch after the intervals.  Intervals are hard on your legs... which is the point... they are pushing you.  Only one/week.  More is not better.

As an example, for me... my 5K race pace is around 7:45 / mi.  The intervals I do are 6:40/mi and 9:30/mi and I do about 1mi warm-up and then 2 mi intervals plus a 1 mi cool down and stretch.  But work your way slowly up to your max to avoid injury, and remember to warm-up first and cool down after.

There are other types of speedwork you can try like hill repeats and fartlek.  But the main two points I want to make are a) be sure to add a long run in 1x / week and b) after you've reached a decent base, add in speed work such as interval training.  The reason I hit PBs last year is absolutely due to a better base than previous years and the addition of interval training.

Rest and Tapering

The above guidelines leave out two important things.  One is that generally one week a month will be approximately 50-70% of your distance and all at a fairly easy pace.  This gives your muscles a chance to recover (and you mentally as well).  I'm pretty flexible on how that works only b/c of my work schedule.  If I have a week where I know I'll get less training in due to work anyway (or I'm sick, etc.), that then becomes my rest week. 

The week before an important (e.g. "A race"), should be a taper week where all your workouts are easy and much less distance.  Personally, if it isn't an A race, I consider the race one of my hard workouts (if short distance, then it counts as an interval, if long distance, it counts as a long run).  Not exact, but a reasonable replacement.

Technique / Physics

Probably the most helpful advice I've picked up in the last year is focusing on improving efficiency of my run - and remember, I really stink at running, especially at the end of a tri.  Improving efficiency sounds like a good plan to me :-)  The most important concept/visual for me is the idea that you want all of your energy being used to move forward, not side to side and not up and down.  There have been two tips that seem to come up again and again and that have made a difference for me. 

1.  Arm movement - yes, I know we're talking about running with your legs, but your arms also contribute to your speed.  And perhaps more importantly, can detract from it.  Make sure your arms are working in parallel with your legs, that is that they move back and forth in the direction you are heading and not side to side.  Just this one change in my running technique probably improved my pace by 15 sec/mi or so (and lowered my fatigue).

2.  Slight forward tilt of whole body - this comes from Chi running, but I've seen it discussed lots of other places as well.  The idea is that if you have a slight lean, gravity is also helping you move forward.  They most important thing to remember if you do this is that your body should be straight and that you're not hinging at your waist (which is rough on your back).  I've found this to be a much more efficient way to run as well, especially as you get more tired.

At its most basic level, running speed is a function of stride length and cadence.  I'm not a big fan of messing with stride length directly as over-striding is something to be wary of for sure as you don't want to, in effect, put on the brakes by hitting the ground very heel first (also overstriding is asking for injury).  But indirectly, there are a few things you can work on to improve your stride with the most important being working on your flexibility - stretching those hamstrings out (big issue for me).  I do think some speed can be gained on increasing one's cadence.  That's my next thing to experiment with - apparently 90ish (or 180 if counting every foot strike) is what to aim for.  I'm guessing I'm much slower than that.  I do think the interval training is probably the training method that helps with that, but general awareness of cadence is important too.

The last "physics" issue is weight.  Not surprisingly, if we carry extra weight, the slower we will go all things being equal.  That's why they have Clydesdale and Athena categories.  It really makes a difference in performance.  Also there's a higher the risk for injury.  When I was 40lbs heavier than I am today, I would visualize hauling around a sack of potatoes on a run to help motivate me to eat better (and yes, I still struggle with the eating).  But here's the exciting news... a 10lb weight loss translates into about a minute improvement in speed in a 5K.  Wow!  So, if you're somewhat overweight, this is a win-win-win - improvement in health, improvement in speed, improvement in fewer injuries (and probably a few other things too).  I've lost about 10lbs / year while doing triathlons (which is like 1 lb/month - not a huge weight loss goal).  I hate to sound like a broken record, but again, the importance of this long-term / lifestyle focus.  It doesn't sound like much, but after 4 years, it's a world of difference.

Triathlon Tip

If you're just running, you don't have to worry about how your legs feel after coming off the bike, but running after biking is almost like a whole different sport!  While much literature says bricks (running after a bike workout) are not that important to your training, I do think it is very important mentally.  If you've never experienced running after the bike, it is a real shocker the first time, and in a race, even more so (because you're pushing harder on the bike).  Another great way to get in that 4th run each week (or every other week) is to add a run after a bike workout.  It is hard, to be sure, but helps prepare both your muscles and your brain for race day!

Hope this is helpful... Please add in your own comments and experiences.  These thoughts are a combination of readings and my own experience and may or may not be helpful to you.  But, at least I hope it encourages you to think more about technique and training as the key tools to improve your performance.

Have a great day... if the weather holds, I'm hoping to get in a bike ride later today and go over 10 hours of training for the week! 

All the best,
Stu





Edited by juneapple 2011-02-27 5:03 PM