TriForrestTri & Blackbud's Group - FULL (Page 2)

You'll be surprised how much you like the training log on BT. I was a diehard workout journal fan until I found this site. It rocks, and naturally, now I'm addicted. 

I hope everyone is having a great new year. I just wanted to say that I really like this group thing. its really motivating me knowing someone is actually reading my logs.   Thanks a lot guys. I hope the rest of you are getting as much out of it.

I say go for it!!!  Absolutely nothing wrong with "Just finish" as your goal.  You only get to do your 1st tri once so take it easy and just enjoy it.

That said, only you will know if you are truly ready so try adding a couple of confidence building workouts.  Just do two thirds of the total race at an easy pace once or twice.  It should make for a little bit longer workout which will build on your endurance base, but more importantly it should boost your confidence knowing that you've already done 2/3 of a tri.

Happy training!!

markmark - 2007-01-10 8:21 PM Greetings Ben, just wondering if it matters if where the program says swim/run and I run/swim is it going to cause dramas?

Nice new avatar!!!

I'm assuming your "swim/run" days are two separate workouts where you do one in the morning and the other in the evening, I wouldn't think that there would be a big difference.   This early in the season, it's probably more important to just be consistent w/ your workouts.

Are you using a training plan from BT or from somewhere else?

Yes I have and it was one of the smartest things I did when I first got into tri's.  To have a coach observe my technique, critique me on it and then offer some suggestions was a great help.  It helped my swim technique vastly (not that I'm all that great now).  It'd also be good to check out the Total Immersion (http://www.totalimmersion.net/) technique too.  Terry Laughlin has written a number of books on the subject that you could buy or just check out from the library.

TI Swim Technique- http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=63181&posts=19&highlight=swim%20technique&highlightmode=1#M644727

Actually, here are a whole bunch of swim related posts... http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=63181&posts=19&highlight=swim%20technique&highlightmode=1#M644727

OMG! We've finally made it to page 2!! Woo Hoo!

Lots of people are intimidated by the masters.  But really, to be great you have to surround yourself with greatness.  So go learn from the best, and just remember that they had to start somewhere too!

OMG!!  Not only have we reached page 2, but Tanya has shown a philosophical side that I didn't know existed.  Talk about turning the page

Mark - I think a HRM is a good training tool.  For example, the training plan I follow is geared around your HR zones.  Some runs are in lower zones, so you can work on endurance and fat burning, while some are in higher zones to work on working at your anaerobic threshold.  They are very helpful in spin class.  And sometimes when I am running I really have no clue what my pace is, but by looking at my HR, I can tell if I am pushing it, or at my normal running HR, or slacking.  If nothing else, it's cool to see how many calories you have burned!

Alex - First....LOVE the new avatar! What a cutie!! (No, your son, silly! Haha!)  I think that 5 hour class with the under water video would be really good to do!  My lessons were $80 per hour....so $100 for 5 hours PLUS underwater video is a steal!!!  Let us know if you do it, and what all they covered.  I will be interested in finding out how it goes.

That's a great avatar, Alex!  It's cool to see what you look like too.  I've really been wanting to do the underwater video myself.  Everyone I've talked to that has done it raves about what an eye opening tool the video was.  The coach sounds reasonable too, so I say go for it.

Mark - As for the heart rate training, I've found it useful for keeping my effort in check.  Before using an HRM, I would run 3 times a week and be pretty spent.  What I found when I got my HRM was that I was simply running too hard.  On the bike, I found that I wasn't working hard enough.  There are a whole slew of other benefits that can be explained better by an expert.  Check out this article by Mike Ricci.  He's a coach w/ D3 Multisport here on Colorado.  His training techniques are right in line w/ Joe Friel's (Author of Triathlete's Training Bible) and based on science.  I guess what I'm saying is this guy knows his stuff very well.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=633

Oh yes!!! Definitely get the sign-off from your wife.  And yes, again there's a goodly amount of info int hat article but it's all good information.   It's good bathroom reading if you print it out.  That way you can re-read it several times to let it sink in

I've been doing some thinking about this group we've got going on here and I've come to the conclusion that two heads are better than one.  To that end, I recruited a buddy that I train with pretty regularly to co-mentor w/ me.  Matt/Blackbud and I started doing tris at about the same time and managed to meet through BT.  Overall we're matched very evenly but we both have our strength's and weaknesses.  Matt is a stud of a swimmer while I really struggled with it at first although he can still swim circles around me.  And vice versa on the run although I'm concerned that he's gaining on me

So Matt, could you tell the gang a bit about yourself?

 I don't know about that swimming circles stuff, but I'll take what I can get.

As for me, I was a swimmer in High School and College and have always found it pretty easy. I was also in the military and was forced to run on a regular basis, although not fast. I kept up with the running but maintained a pretty slow pace and have in turn struggled with it a lot. On the other hand, I began biking two seasons ago and it is now my strength. I'm currently planning my own season although I had a coach last year and found it very helpful. I'm using Friel's Bible to plan my season and so far it's working pretty well, assuming I can stay healthy.

On top of all this training stuff I work in commercial construction and find it sometimes VERY difficult to fit in workouts. It's helpful that I'm a freak about time management!

Now.....On with the questions!

Gotta give some public props to the Nipper and Standswithfist.  Check their logs.  They are rockin' the workouts!!!  Standswithfist has even been talking some trash.  If you check out Spriite's logs, she's no joke either.  And I'm willing to bet that she's training out there in boonies of Alaska somewhere training like Rocky before the fight against Ivan Drago!!

So what do ya say fellas?!  Can you match their effort?