dragoman's group - FULL (Page 2)

Here's a sample meal:

(Once again, this is if I'm training the scheduled number of hours, which I'm not)

Example:

Lunch: 2 fat / 3 fruit / 3 meats / 2 veggies / 4 carbos =

90 grams of grilled chicken (3 servings of meat), 2 cups of toss salad (2 servings of veggies),  oil/vinegar dressing (2 serv. fat), 1.5 cups of whole-grain rice + 1 slice of whole-wheat bread (4 servings of carbos),  1 glass of orange juice + 1 medium-sized fruit (3 servings of fruit).

I know it's a lot of food. For you training plan, I would definitely lower the carbos to 2 servings (1 cup of rice, pasta or 2 slices of bread), maybe the protein also to 2 servings (60gr.) and the fruit to 2 servings also (1 glass of fruit juice + 1 small fruit).

The important thing is to keep it balanced. The above sample doesn't include dairy products, but I do have them in both breakfast and dinner.

I would suggest to start making little changes. Change whole milk for skim or non-fat milk, broil or bake instead of fry, fruit instead of candy, water or juice instead of soda. There's even whole-wheat tortillas!

Also, yeah, where is Vic???

Hey Vic,

Not mad at all and much less disappointed, my friend!!!

Triathlon training, at any distance, takes up a lot of time. I usually find myself carrying a car full of training clothes, setting up the bike trainer at home for a short 30min ride and doing stuff like that to try to squeeze some workouts in. Obviously, working out at 1am under the conditions you're going through right now is counterproductive. The good thing is that I'm sure once you get some time to do so, you'll do great, especially with your swimming background!  

Remember, this is supposed to be FUN. No pressure from me or anyone else for that matter at all. It's all you. I'm here to help you, encourage you and orient you, where possible.

To me, training in general has become and continues to be a lifestyle change. I'm constantly learning new stuff and making adjustments to keep getting better.  You'll find that many of us still struggle with balancing life, studies, family and training. But that just keeps it interesting!

What I do recommend is to try to log something everyday, even if you don't workout. Write about how you feel, your goals, life in general or whatever comes to mind. I know the logs and the BT community have been great tools in getting me to the finish line of my tris.

BTW, I put some comments on my log about my back; still waiting.

Welcome aboard Jack,

First, try to add me and the other guys in this group (Vic, John) to your contacts on your blog. My advice is blog as much as you can every day, even on non-training days: training, nutrition, mood, etc., and give and take advice, encouragement and inspiration to and from the other group members. Ask me all the questions you want

Second, set an exact date and venue for your tri. That way, you'll know exactly how much time you've got left to train.

If you don't already have one, choose a training plan. This site has excellent programs.

As a runner, a fast one I may add, you'll be saving the best for last in a tri...which is always a good thing + you've already got significant endurance which will carry forward onto the other two sports. 

With regards to your swimming, my advice is the same as the one I gave to John a few posts back: read Total Immersion and find someone experienced to take a look at your stroke. Swimming is technique intensive, so going solo does not always work. A master's group is always a good option.

As of this week, we're posting AT LEAST three tri-related goals for each week, so feel free to add yours. (See above posts). 

Once again, welcome.

Félix

Have a great weekend, guys!

I hope to see some workouts logged and have questions asked during the week.

Remember to review and update your goals on Monday!

Félix

This was a hard week mentally for me since I got injured last Monday. I'm waiting for a diagnosis next Tuesday to see if I can at least start swimming, physical therapy, yoga or whatever. I need my endorphin kick!  

Goals for this week:

1. Eat like an athlete (even it means having to eat like an injured or recovering athlete).

2. Continue to read TI.

3. Get maintenance done on both bikes (MTB & Road).

4. Blog as much info as I can (nutrition, resting heart rate, weight, etc.)

Let's see your goals, people!

Félix

Welcome Heather!

I love the attitude, motivation and goals.

You're on the right track about weight loss Remember that muscle actually weighs more than fat, so your best indicator is body fat percentage. I get my nutritionist to measure my BF every few months.

I'm not really sure that your diving suit will work for tri swimming, but it sounds like a good question to post on this site's Triathlon Talk forum. My guess is that it probably wouldn't work as well as a specialized wetsuit. I've never used one, but then again I live in the Caribbean.

I would definitely recommend following a specific tri training plan AND continue doing weights twice a week, trying to engage the most important tri-specific muscle groups. A few posts back I gave Vic a sprint triathlon plan and a strength training plan. Something along those lines would work perfectly; however, this site has a number of great plans to choose from.

What price rance bike are you looking for? Maybe I can help there.

Félix

Hi, I'd like to join the group as well.

Background info: forty three year old male from Chicago - just started back getting into shape ( isn't round a shape?) currently at 205 - would like to be about 185 though have been down to 167

years ago i was a diver for almost 10 years - competed at national level in college. swimming is pretty easy for me - relatively efficient - 30 - 35 strokes per 50.

no idea about biking - need to get one (which one? road or tri?)

running is tough and what I am spending most of my time working on - i realize my runs are what others do for a warmup, and that my pace is very slow but it is improving.

at this point i am trying to work up to 6 hours a week - it is difficult to balance work, 10 hours a week commute and parenting.i am trying to strength train at least 2x a week, preferably 4. Normally work out for an h our in the evening aftre making dinner for every one else, and and occasionally strength train in the morning. Swim on Saturday mornings when I can.

Biggest probelem is patience with myself and the slow progress in the run.  I have no illusions at this point of an oly or an IM, just sprint would be fine for  now.

I just don't want to be last.

Vforte - keep hydrated and keep the faith!

Some nasty virus went around my office last week  - about 48 hour bug.  hang in there!

Welcome Dave!

A sprint tri is a great place to start; however, I must warn you: serious tri addiction may follow.

It's great to have a target weight, but like I said in previous posts, lowering body fat and gaining muscle should be our goal. So bf percentages are more accurate for athletes than just weight.

Road bike vs. Tri bike? A tri bike is very much similar to a time-trial bike, it kicks butt on flat terrain and it's geometry is supposed to help save your legs for the run. That being said, I prefer a road bike with clip-on aerobars. I generally ride on hills and rolling terrain in training and find that a road bike offers better handling and climbing and a more comfortable position.  I haven't been sold yet on the arguments that tri-bikes are significantly better for beginners. It's your call, ask questions at your LBS and tri shops.

Run improvement. Keep plugging away at the run. The most important thing is that you wear proper running shoes, suitable to your type of foot, and don't increase distances or speed more than roughly 10% per week. Running on soft surfaces helps save the knees and prevent overuse injuries.

My biggest advice to you is find a tri-training plan. This site is filled with great programs. Only specific training will help you meet your specific goals! You can also mix in strength training along the way, but remember that activity should complement the big three (swim, bike, run) and it's always better to skip a lifting session than one of the 3.

If possible, read the previous posts of this forum. Ask as many questions as you'd like (technical or non-technical) and keep an active blog!

Félix

So, the group's full!

Here's a little summary of its participants:

bruyere: Heather, female, 36, doing a sprint in May.

vforte: Vicente, male, 31, married, doing a sprint on May 6th.

marburg99: John, male, 35, doing a sprint and an oly.

jack carvalho:

dave01101: Dave, male, 43, training for a sprint.

dragoman: Felix, male, 34, racing on July 29.

Make sure you've got everyone in your "contacts" on your blog: inspire, encourage, ask questions. If possible, read a few posts back to see what's been going on in the group so far.

Vic, recover quickly. It sucks to lose weight from being sick because a lot of that weight is muscle mass also. I absolute love the trails al Oleta; IMO, they're the best in all S. Florida!  

Ok, TRIATHLETES, let's do some swimming, biking, running, lifting, etc.!

I hate to say it but price point plays a big factor in my bike choice, i can get a nice road bike - which i think might be better for me training than a tri bike - at a much lower cost.

'Course right now it is a bit tough to ride in Chicago.

http://www.bikesportmichigan.com/bikes/difference.shtml

This is the link to a great article on the difference between road and tri bikes. I'd still prefer a road bike with a tri setup (aerobars, seat adjustments) because I ride more hills and go on lots of group rides. But if I could afford both, I'd probably go for it!

Hope this helps.

Félix

felix,

That is a great article, i've read it a few times. being here in suburbs of chicago - not too many hills . but it has been a long time since i've been on bike other than my too-small mountain bike, i think for sprints a road bike may be fine as the distances are not so great, If i seriously get bitten by the bug then i can always get a tri bike in the future (2-3 years??)