MightyMojoMentorGroup -- (Full House!) (Page 196)

JEFF -

Those socks are now by Wigwam, and one is the Ironman Triathlete Pro Quarter, the other is Ironman Triathlete Low.  Both can be viewed at www.roadrunnersports.com.

When winter comes, I wear the low mostly until temps get around 20F, then below that I switch to the quarter ones so my sweet little ankles don't get chilled (Poor baby!).

Busy late season for everyone. I'm jealous of all of the races. Wish there were some more local events, particularly now that the weather's cooled down.

I have the Pittsburgh Great Race 10K this weekend - my first standalone 10K. I've been pretty good about running frequently (long runs, short easy runs, tempo runs, and speed work) even though the mileage hasn't been huge. I think keeping the mileage <= 10 miles per session has been key to staying injury-free (knock on wood). Excited to see what sort of time I can knock out. The 10K at the end of the Pittsburgh Olympic in July was :50:01 so . . . I'm trying to figure out how much faster I can go than that and thinking about splits?! . . . 7:30 / mile 7:15 ????

DAVE -

You maybe know how I feel about your training --- that IF you have a 10km as a goal race and IF you are looking for the fastest possible time, then you don't need big miles.  I don't even think you need a 10-miler, unless (a) you love running (which you mostly do) and (b) you will be "using" those 10-milers en route to a fall half-marathon or 15-miler.  So, i suspect your training for the PGR has been just about perfect.........and I too will be excited to see what you come up with!

I think i told you/group that when i'm training for an olympic, I like doing full 10km tempo runs.  I did a half of one of those two days ago (I outlined it here yesterday, i think it was), meaning the first half was leisurely, the second half was tempo.

Today I figured I would go for the whole enchillada, mostly to gauge what all needs to be done before next Saturday.  My km splits were 4:43, 3:34, 4:35, 3:34, 3:34 on the out, and then 4:31, 4:33, 4:28, 4:27, 4:26 on the back --and mostly into a mild wind.  So that was a negative-split by about 42s, and a total of 45:30......AND I'M FEELIN' GOOD!!!!!!

I'm not sure where this leaves me vis-a-vis run training for the next seven days, but i don't think I need another full 10km tempo effort.  Maybe a brisk 5km, a leisurely 11km, a brisk 7km?

But back to you:

I think you can count on a good bit more speed than at the tri, but that might also be compromised some by a crowded course.  A 10km + late September = keenly big crowds, is what I'm suspecting, so remember that it;s the chip time that amtters, and also be dutiful about your own timing device, which you might want to click when the gun goes AND when you cross the start line.  You can probably assume adequate aid stations, too, so that will help your effort and you psyche. 

As for pace, though, i'm not sure what to advise you --- other than to take the first km just a bit on the conservative side.  the crowd may seal that decision for you, but if not then try not to put yourself at risk of blowing up by being too aggresssive right from the gun.  If you notice my paces above, that first km was deliberately a bit slower, just to judge how I was feeling and also to not put myself at jeopardy for a slower-than-hoped-for final two km.  So, looking at those numbers, i'm pretty much okay with 8s/km slower on the first than the next few, and it helped ensure that I had each of the return km a ffair bit faster than their going-out counterparts.

What have you been doing for your average miles in your training?

DAVE again -

That first km was 4:43/km and 7:35/mile, and the whole run was 4:33/km and 7:19/mile.  So doing the first km 10s slower than my average time seems like a good plan.

(Note:  It worked real well this time....but in the world of pacing, too often it's a case of "The best-laid plans of mice and men........."

THOMAS -

WISDOM, for sure.  You've got a group that will both push you and keep you honest, which I guess is a euphemism for not doing dumb stuff over and over and over and over.  (I never-ever ran with a group, which is maybe why so much of my running history is punctuated by dumb stuff --- over and over and over and over.

Good plan, that running club.  DO IT!!!!

GANG!

Maybe you all have a favorite online pace-calculator device, but if not, here's mine:

www.tricalc3.com

On the local news this evening it was reported that the WTC has narrowed it's 7 bids for IMC to a short list of 3:

Kelowna, Whistler and Huntington, Ontario

Trina - I have all the ingredients for Almond Joy oatmeal so next time I make up a batch of steel cut oats I'll try it.  It certainly sounds good.  Thanks!

Swimming today was less about swimming and more about doing drills, pull buoys (yuck!) and some exercises.  I guess I'll have to work on getting comfortable with the pull buoy so it isn't as much of a chore.  I also found that today and in Wednesday's swim I got a few lengths of swimming where I felt really strong and fast (of course I neglected to check the clock) with fewer strokes by about 6 per length.  I want to feel like that more often.

GEORGE -

Ha!  you messed with my head by mentioning Huntington, cuz that's near Hamilton and is kind of nowhereville for Ironman purposes.  I figured you had made a subtle mistake with the last part of the name, and you did -- it's Huntsville, up in Muskoka, where a 70.3 has been held for a few years now.  There's reasons why they have a good chance to get it, but I'd much prefer it out west.  We'll see.

The scuttlebutt I hear has WTC leaning towards Kelowna, and mayeb a week or two before Challenge, just to screw them up.  That wouldn't surprise me at all, coming from WTC.  And lots of people are intrigued by Wistler, but the accoms costs migth be huge.  Way too dear for my blood, anyhow ---- even if I still had an interest in another iron, and even if I decided to contribute to WTC's bank accounts.

I shall return!

GEORGE -

Other than being able to focus exclusively on an upper-body workout and/or work pointedly on the "fromt end" of your stroke, there's no real good reason for using a pull buoy if you don't like it.  In fact, many reputable people say it is nothing more than a big crutch, and that it also messes with your normal body rotation.  Don't feel you have to spend much (any?) time with it at all!

That said, i use it an awful lot, primarily because I hardly kick at all when i'm in my wetsuit.  Part of this has been because I try to save my legs as much as possible for the bike and run, but more recently I have felt that kicking aggravates my torn labrum, which otherwise in most workouts of any type is fine.  So, with race preparedness always in mind, and my labrum's well-being right up there, too, I  use the p.b. far, far more than I probably should.

Very nicley done on embracing thsoe long, powerful strokes.  you may be on to something big there, so whatever you're doing that feels just rigth -- get it imprnted into your muscle memory.  In fact, i would say that should be your focus for the next few swims, to the exclusion of standard form-drills and lotsa laps.  an approach would be to start swimming with that stroke, and keep going until you feel you are losing that element of your form -- and then immediately leave the pool.  Come back as soon as you can, and do that again -- swim with that sweet stroke, and when it begins to fall apart, leave immediately.  After a bunch of sessions of this approach, I think you'll find that that technique lasts longer, and maybe to the point where it is there, always. 

My tedious experiences say that big strides in swimming happen just about once in a blue moon, so if you are on the cusp of a huge breakthrough, NOTHING else is more important than trying to make it permanent.  Definitely don't sacrifice it for a long session, or a session devoted to generated plain old big yards.  There's many months ahead for that stuff, and if you can get a long, effortless, yet powerful stroke working for you, that'll make future sessions of big yards all the mor productive and enjoyable.

Woo-hoo!

Oops! Yeah it was Huntsville.  Sorry about that.  I'd prefer it not to be Kelowna and I just can't imagine Whistler but I know what you think of Muskoka as well. 

I understand what you're saying about imprinting the swimming.  I found it hard to continue doing the strokes the way they felt most productive for more than a couple lengths at a time.  I think in addition to what you advise for the swim, I'll need to work this winter on improving my core strength.  As for the pull buoy I found it added about 5 strokes to my lengths and my arms were all over the place.  I won't mind at all avoiding it. 

Tonight will be 7 days post Redman. I'm not sore, nothing hurts, but not feeling very 'perky" still. One clunky run, will swim this afternoon and perhaps fool around on the bike or on the trainer (rainy here).

Next week I begin a run focused plan leading to The Dallas Marathon

Holy cow dude! You've been in Canada a while then. I swam in 74 degree pool water when the heater broke and thought it was completely ridiculous. I can't imagine being a skinny guy with little body fat and trying 60 degrees. Yikes!

DOUG -

The equation becomes more complicated.   To the water temp and air temp, I need to factor in swim duration, and also growing absence of buoys.

So, yesterday was a 64/65 (water/air) day, and sunny, and I swam for 34 minutes, six more than the day before.  And while I was okay during the swim, it took about 45 minutes post-swim for my feet to not feel cold; they were never numb, just cold.  And yesterday there was only one meaningless buoy that had been taken up, so I felt secure follwing the long bouy line down the river and across the bay.

Today was 64/60, and I swam for 27 minutes, and my feet and all were fine.  However, two key buoys were taken up, and while I swam past where they have been (including yesterday), I felt less secure doing so -- and will feel increasingly less secure as the temps drop.   So, while a three-part formula involving water temp, air temp, and swim duration seems workable, if the canoe club keeps taking up the buoys, that will sap my interest in subjecting myself to OWS too much longer.  But with my last races sxcheduled for nex weekend......I only have to hang in there a few more days!

By the by, the buoys are set out ~200m apart, and from where I begin my swims there are eight of them, and I figure it is an out-and-back of about 1750m.  I casn always add a few more just to the north of my starting point, And those are closer togetehr; from the Rideau canoe Club to the end buoy is a bit over 1000m one way.  It's a great set-up --- until they start bringing them in; makes me think they are afraid to lose them if the river freezes over soon!

I met a guy the week prior to Redman through the Texoma Cycling Club, young guy, married with a young daughter-expressed an interest in triathlon, likes to run, very strong cyclist and former baseball player with a history of body building. He said he wanted to start swimming, hadn't done that yet so we got a little workout in today. It was cool being the more experienced and faster one for a change. Anyway the usual problems, dragging feet, wild kick, beating the water, head held high. I tried to remember not to fix everything, got him to focus on a few small details and he reported an immediate result and he did look better-I took two short videos with my phone, I wish someone had been around to do that for me-he could see what I was describing. It was all alot of fun and I got a little bit of swimming in-nothing intense or long but I noticed on the first few lengths the water felt thick-dense, my arms, shoulders seemed heavy so i guess I'm still tired.

So I am hopeful, if I have a new occasional training partner, especially in the pool, some of the harder parts of this stuff, like getting up early, will get easier.

In the past 6 weeks, I average around 4 runs per week with the following miles:

8/19           20 miles

8/26           19

9/2             14 (5K race week)

9/9             23

9/16           20

9/23           16 (10k race week)

10K PR today! Well, it wasn't that hard to have a PR since my only other 10K was at the end of an Olympic tri, but I was happy with it. I think the times are going to look fast since this is a point-to-point race that is mostly downhill.

:44:16 (7:07 / mile or 4:26 / km)

I really thought a lot about my mental strategy going into this race. I wasn't going to let those dark thoughts take over and sap my speed. I had a mantra ready to go, but surprisingly, I never had to use it. I trained hard, came up with a pacing plan and (mostly) stuck with it. Easy pie. Not sure if that means the effort was less than it could have been or if distance races are just going to hurt a little less than 5Ks. I felt great afterwards. Weather cooperated too: chilly (50s) and rainy.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/228571045

Great job Dave! It was nice that talked through negative feelings and then didn't even have to go there I think negative thoughts have their place during races as long as you can use them to fuel your determination. Perfect weather too!

This morning my wife and I entered a local 5K fundraiser fun run.  She's not a runner and she entered to walk.

It was a beautiful day and we were running along a rolling country road out 2.5K and back.  On my return I came up to an 8 - 10 yr old girl stopped at the side of the road and she started running with me and we chatted a bit until we caught up to her Dad then I continued on.

Then I came around the last corner and saw the finish line about 200m ahead so I picked up my pace and crossed the line at 35:30 so I was fairly pleased.  Prior to this I've never been below 36:50-ish and then theres the distance thing.  It was billed as a 5K but my Garmin says 5.3K.  Based on the 5K my pace was 7:06/km (Dave's time today was 7:07/mi - thats really great Dave) but if I go by the 5.3 distance then it was 6:42/Km.  I've never had a 6 anything pace before so I am quite pleased.

Later we were standing talking with two people from my swim fit class and my wife was shocked to be called up for a 3rd place medal in her AG.  She was embarrassed because she only walked and she had stopped for 5 minutes to help a young boy that had fallen on the ashphalt (her walking pace was about 8:15/K).

Then when they came to the M60-64 they called me up for a 2nd place.  Meaning there were 3 of us and I was faster than one fellow.

The medals were surprisingly nice considering this was a fundraiser, only a modest 5K and we weren't expecting anything at all because the entry fees were only $18 each.

Congrats to both of you! That's a pretty good time especially since you were enjoying the race and chatting! Placing is always fun especially when there is someone behind you