Baowolf mentor group is [ Closed ] (Page 19)

April Totals:

Swim   18,163

Bike  166.5

Run    35.58

Early April had some setbacks, this work thing really interupts my training sometimes!

And just so you know, I had a great swim this morning, unlike Tuesday, and I do like the water again!

First night without cough medicine, may be getting a little better.  Nice run today 7:22 pace for 5 miles.  So nice to run without fatigue, that pace will drop off by nearly a minute next week when I start rebuilding the bike and swim. 

Looking at everyone's numbers, bike looks strong for most folks, swim looks ok and run miles look very low for the distances folks are working on.  Run takes the longest time to build up safely, so be really careful about those low miles.  Bike endurance can build pretty quickly and swim endurance can build relativley quickly, even if speed is another matter.  Safe run building takes time.

Oh and regarding earlier posts on changing run form.  Basically most folks should not change run form unless they are having problems related to bad form, such as knee problems.  It takes 1-2 years to safely change from a heal strike to a midfoot strike and there is a risk of calf and achilies injuries if you try to go too fast.  Especialy using barefeet or minimalist shoes. 

The biggest thing for running is swing your arms forward and back, not across the front of your body, and not too high unless your pace is better than 6:00 mpm.  Your legs push you your arms don't pull you.  The most important part of your foot strike is that it lands under your body not out in front.  If you are stretching out front to legnthen your stride that is aproblem, you want to push out the back for more speed.  Speed is gained by a slight lean forward and moving your legs fast enough to not land on your face.  Bending at the waist restricks air flow and can lead to cramps.  Head should be slightly forward not way down not up and back, like you are looking at a spot 30 to 50 feet ahead on the road.  Stride count should be similar to bike 85 to 90 right foot strikes pre minute. 

My IM food is pretty simple, 1 GU 15 min before race, 2 bottles of 1100 calorie Infinit chased by regular water on the bike, 1 Gu per 30 min on the run chased down by 3-4 oz of water per mile if warm, every other to every 3rd mile if cold, gator aid only last 6 miles to discourge cramping with too much slosh, 3 ish oz per mile or every other mile depending on how the stomach is feeling. 

Steve - Great advise on the run. I think it has helped me to realize I need to relax my breath and I have had some great runs and nice improvement lately. Using the 10% formula including 4th week rest week, it seemed like it would take a looooong time to realy build single run mileage. Given my long run is like 3.86 miles and weekly max around 12, what would you suggest for me to build?

I'm definitely in the 'didn't run much' camp last month, and I'm laying it at the feet of being sick for 2 weeks and missing 9 days of training. I'm hitting all the runs in May, and think I'll be good for the race next month. The build I did for my March HM is serving me well, I think, and hopefully should let me overcome the crappy April.

Had a great 3000 yard swim this AM. My swim has come a long long way since last fall, and I'm thankful for my masters class!

One thing I noticed is how hungry I get after swimming. More so than after a bike or run. This AM I had a banana after swimming, and then a veggie omlette and whole wheat toast. I'm still faminshed, and could easily eat another breakfast. Or two.

Looking forward to a big weekend of training. 1 hour run tonight, long bike tomorrow, long run Sunday, and likely the long bike will be a brick of some sort. Can't believe the race is only 6 weeks away. Holy carp!!

Joe, it is hard to build up run too much on 2-3 runs a week.  It looks like you are doing like 2 2 3, 2 3 3.  If you want to get to 12 miles long, you also need at least 12 miles other than your long run duirng the week. Long run should be less than 50% of your total weekly mileage.  So I would add in another short run day, can be very easy effort, short distance.  Week 1: 2, 2, 2, 4, Week2: 2, 3, 2, 5, Week3: 2,4,3,6, Week4:2,4,4,7, Week 5: 3,4,5,8, Week6: 3,5,5,9, Week7: 3,5,5,7, Week8: 3,5,6,10, Week9, 4,5,6,11, Week10: 4,5,7,12, Week11: 4,5,7,8, Week12, 4,6,7,13....etc. Or something like that.

Mike, your swim is fine, your bike is meh not great, need to get a solid build here and then not go too hard on the bike in the race.  Your run is not good and you don't have a lot of time to build it.  Most of your long runs in your logs are 5 miles.  I am not sure how you are going to get that up in time for your race.  You may need to go slow on everything or may need to do some jog walk as a planned section for your run.  Something like jog 4 min walk 2 min for the entire race, not sure.  We see how things build for you.  In 6 weeks you are building your long bike 20 to 30 miles, hopefuly with 3 rides of 60+.  You are building your long run from 5 miles to 12 or 13 miles, so like 6,7.5,9,10.5,12, 13.5 for long runs. That was 6 weeks of build or 6 weeks until your race... HIM? Fill me in on your plan, you may be thinking about an OLY and not the HIM.

Snowing today 8(.  And yes I am always famished after a swim.  I could eat an etire pizza after a 5000 yard swim, espeically if the water is colder. 

Larry - That does sound like one special lady you have.

Mike - Are you scheduled for the Timberman inAugust?

Steve - Not sure why but I might have been holding back a bit. Maybe because I have not run for a couple years. That is great input on how to build. 

Mitch - How's the foot?

Had a good run today 3.12 miles in 31:30. Not breaking any records but solid. 

Thanks for asking.  The foot is still killing me.  Didn't run today and decided that I shouldn't run this weekend.  It's really hard not to run... I just need a little time.  Doesn't hurt my foot to bike and swim so I'm going to up that a bit but that seems to be my M.O. ever since I broke that foot a few months ago

Hi all, sorry to have been awol lately.  My FIL went into the hospital early Wed morning, and I'm just now coming up for air.  Think I need to add a new category called "hospital sitting" to my logs.  I've only had time so far to skim the most recent posts.  Sounds like most of you who were sick or injured are on the upswing....except maybe Mitch.  Frustrating!

I'll play the April totals game.  Run included marathon (4/15) taper and recovery.  Didn't even really try to start ramping up the bike until after that, so the totals are about what I would expect.  After that and then the hospital haitus this week, my 5/28 OLY may be more of a "complete it and enjoy the scenery" type of race. 

My race is June 16th. It is a HIM. I agree with your assessment of my training, in particular the past month. Now that I'm healthy, I think the past few days are more indicitive of where I am than the past few weeks, but I'm not saying I'm showing up on June 16th to compete for a podium spot. I'm being as realistic as possible. My goal for the race is to finish, and if the next 5 weeks go as I plan, that will happen without question. If I get sick as I was a couple weeks ago, I will seriously think about a DNS. Missing another 8-9 days, plus a week of 'training while sick' would leave me in a bad spot to try the race.

BUT...i'm not feeling like I wont' be prepared. I did a nice 52 mile bike/3 mile run brick this AM, and while tired, it felt like a good kind of tired. My long run tomorrow will be 8 miles, and over the next 5 weeks I'll ramp that up a mile a week leaving me at 12 a week before race week. Ideal? No, but it will get me there. I feel my swim is in a good place, bike will be going to 60+ the next 3 weeks, and I'll build what I can on the run.

Mike your swim and bike will be fine.  I did not mean to disparage you from your training or racing.  Your run is not so great.  I know you were sick, and that you had more run miles a month ago.  You are proposing 8,9,10,11,12, race.  I would probably go 8, 9.5, 11, 12.5, 8 race.  You need 2 weeks to benefit from a key workout so your 12 mile run the week before the race will tax your reserves, but not contribute towards your fitness for race day.  Hopefully your training from 2 months ago will help you to build up a little more quickly on the run than is textbook, safely.  Closer to the race we can look at stratetgy.  You will be in fine shape to finish the race, no problem there, it is how you aproach the race pacing wise is really where I was going.  If run is not so strong and bike is stronger, you can't nail the bike because it will kill your run.   Anyway no discouragement, try to not miss any runs and hit your planned long bikes which are on track, no problem there. 

I came in 1st in age group 3rd overall today in a hilly 4 mile trail run at a pace of 6:27 per mile.  A slight PR over last year.  Still not 100 percent, but getting better.  Brr 30F at start of race.

Thanks.  The wetsuit, foats you, but it will wear out your arms faster also and if one had a kick, it would make that less effective I think.  But warmer is good, hypothermia is bad.

So going on a 51 mile bike ride after the race in cool temps with 20 mph winds was.... tiring.  Lungs crappy on the ride, oh well. 

Congrats Steve!  Can't imagine how that kind of speed must feel.   

Good luck Samantha!  Let us know how you did when you get a chance.

Also, thanks for the replies on my bike question.  I do think I'm going to take it in for a tune up/cleaning.  In the interim, continuing to do my best to just put in the miles, regardless of how slow they are. 

I am pretty well convinced I'm alergic to pool chemicals.  Every afternoon after swimming in the morning, my sinuses swell up to the point of feeling completely blocked.  This time it's lasted since Friday .  This is a fairly recent development (this yr), so I'm not sure if its me or the pool that has changed.  Anyone else have this problem?      

Great job on your training volume and consistency!  Yes, the TV is always there waiting with a whole lot of nothing to watch.

Sorry for the foot pain .  Hopefully the shoe change will help.  Do you have a good podiatrist?  I go to one who is a triathlete, and she's been a big help. 

Hang in there Mike, and good job on the dad front.  There's more than one kind of marathon!

Carol, funny you should mention being allergic to chlorine.  I noticed the same thing the past month.  I don't know if it is aggravating my allergies, or is an allergy itself.  Claritin has helped. 

Got a 25 mile bike in this morning at 17.5 mph.  The ride felt pretty good.  Nice weather always helps. 

Good work everyone.  13 mile run in for me today, started out sluggish but went alright, a bit tight in the calves, will have to marathon stick them.  Still want my lungs back.  At least I have a touch of stamina.

A thought on the sore hip flexor.  The compression tights I have put pressure on that area and may help with recovery... but they are a pricier item.  May be worth it to give it a try though if it helps you get back up to snuff and helps with long term recovery/resilience.  Note it is not a proven help but many people report feeling better, recovering quicker. 

Thoughts on the broken foot issue, if walking is still to rough on your foot, I would consider aquajogging if you have it available to you. 

Getting faster in running includes building a base and then running faster.  Once you are doing 30 to 40 miles per week for 3-6 months you can start doing half mile and mile repeats.  Start with 1 and then next week move to 2, then 3 etc.  You do a warmup 10 min, then 1 mile at race pace (usually marathon or half marathon pace), jog slower for a quarter mile, then repeat.  You can do 10 or more of these in a 15 mile run or whatever.  If you want to run a 3:30:00 marathon, your half mile repeat should take you 3:30 to run...interesting, but true I guess.