TriGeeks - CLOSED (Page 2)

Wes: I work at St. Vincents Medical Center Riverside. Def we should meet up! I swim at the Brooks YMCA off of JTB/Southside. We can always bike/run. I usually do my long sunday ride at the Jax Rail Trail. Let me know sometime if you want to train together! I'll be flying to CA/Hawaii tomorrow, so I'll be back in Jax in 2 weeks. My training schedule the next two weeks will be RUN/SWIM combo. No bike until I get back.

Roger: Any advice on focus since I cant bike for two weeks? Thanks in advance!

We'll do it. We will be in Jax in a couple weeks(kids stay with all the grandparents a few weeks the beginning of July) to pick the kids up. We'll hit it then for sure!

Hi Roger and everyone! I would like to join this group as well.

NAME: UTMrunner/Darrell

STORY:I am 31 years old and I live in St. Louis. I am a teacher and coach (cross country and track). I have been a runner since high school and I ran in college as well. I have run countless 5K-10Ks, 3 half marathons and 3 marathons, and have done 1 sprint triathlon. I got into swimming and biking the last couple of years which is good because I have some osteoarthritis in the knees due to previous injuries. For now all my running is on the elliptical, but I am hoping for some time outdoors soon.

FAMILY STATUS: Married for 5 years with 1 child who is about to turn 1.

CURRENT TRAINING: Due to a busy schedule my training has been minimal, but with summer here I am starting to ramp it up more.
I haven't planned any races due to not knowing if the doctor will allow me to run. If so then i hope to get in a sprint or two in late summer/early fall.

2013 RACES: I haven't planned any races yet due to not knowing if the doctor will allow me to run. I should find out in the next couple weeks. If so I plan on a couple sprints in late summer or early fall.

WEIGHTLOSS: Currently around 207 and would like to lose 25-30 pounds.

Wes, I doubt it is an IT band issue or you would probably have some lateral knee pain. Have you ever had your gait analyzed and are you sure you are in the right shoe for your gait? Have you upped your mileage recently, maybe a little too much too soon. These are just a few of the thoughts right off the top of my head. Also try some good deep sports massage if you can, it does wonders. If you have a sports medicine clinic nearby they might be able to suggest some strengthening exercises, or maybe even identify an imbalance. I know all this costs money, but it's not a cheap sport if you want to do it right. Just my 2 cents.
Good luck and let us know how it's progressing.
Roger.

Patrick,
Welcome! Your account is restricted so I can't view your training log. Hope you're having fun in beautiful Hawaii, I hope to get back there soon with my family. Probably not much opportunity to bike, so try and get out and go for some runs. A run heavy period will greatly improve your performance, but be careful about upping the mileage a lot as not to injure yourself. Enjoy your vacation and you can always use the time as a recovery period. Many athletes see improvement in their performance coming off a recovery period, just don't do nothing, even short workouts are better than none.
Roger.

Hi Darrell and welcome to the group. We are starting to see some growth in our little group. I was beginning to think we weren't going to have one. Hopefully we can initiate some good discussions. Are you getting to swim and bike? The elliptical is great for recovering injuries. Stay low impact and get better. No sense rushing it and not being able to race at all. Let us know how you're doing.
Roger.

Hi Roger,

I would love to join your group!



Name: Hilz85/ Hillary

Story: I'm 27 years old and have never really competed in anything. I started running in January and raced in my first 5K in March. I was diagnosed with bilateral stress fractures in my shins in April and so I was forced to put running on hold. I go back for my 6 week appointment this Monday, June 10th (fingers crossed for clearance!) and in the meantime I took up cycling and swimming which prompted my interest in a sprint triathlon.

Family Status: I have been married for 3 years. My husband is a paramedic and a runner, hoping to do his first full marathon in October. I work per diem as a surgical tech and go to school full time. We have an 8 year old son who has also taken up an interest in running.

Current Training: I've been a bit limited due to my injury but I try and swim 2-3x a week and bike 3-4x a week. I have been walking to replace running. As a true beginner I feel a bit lost on what a good training program for myself should be. I have done some reading on the topic but everyone has a different approach so I definitely need help in this area.

This Past Years Races: none!

2013 Races: I ran a local 5K in March and had to withdraw from a 10K race I was signed up for in June due to my injury.

Weightloss: I'm just shy 5'5 and I teeter between 138-140lbs. Would love to eat healthier and cleaner but weight loss is not my primary goal, although who wouldn't love to shed a few pounds in the process?!

Goals: I'm signing up for a women's sprint triathlon September 8. With having no experience I just want to finish. I do have a competitive edge but I am realistic so for my first race I would love to walk away from it with a foundation that I can build upon. I also don't want to finish last, ha!

Welcome Hillary! I dig the healthcare theme in our group! Apparently we are all suckers accept for Joe! Hope ya heel up quick Hillary.

Hi Hillary and welcome to the group. I am sending good vibes your way for a complete recovery and release to start running again. The good news is that you have plenty of time to recover and train for your upcoming sprint. We'll get you to the finish line with a smile on your face. Let us know how your "clearance" appointment went.
Roger.

Thanks! And hi everyone! (very funny that many of are medically minded!)

So my doctor told me today that I can't run for 3 more weeks and I'm getting lab work done to check my Vitamin D levels. I have a very slow return to running program which will place me at a 5K running distance JUST in time for the sprint tri. My doctor told me to go ahead and sign up for the tri and to have fun so that's all I needed to hear! I guess I will focus mostly on biking and swimming to anticipate my running being on the weaker side.

ALOHA! I hope everyone's training is going well! I managed to get to a computer while on vacation so I could log results!
Welcome Darrell and Hillary to the group! I look forward to watching you progress and complete your goals!

Roger: I changed the settings of my acct so that everyone on this forum can see my log. I didnt read your post until after a saturday long run, but I'm
going to make sure I stick with small short runs for now. Thank you for the advice. I did some swimming yesterday at the pool then stayed poolside for another 3 hrs playing with my son. Weather is beautiful and I wish I didnt have to ever go back to work. Work hard, play hard right?

Take care and have a great day!

Hi guys and gals, how is everybody's training going? I went to Ironman Kansas last weekend to watch my wife and 26 others in my tri club compete and be the "photographer". I would have much rather been racing, but it was nice just to sit back and watch without having to worry about anything. The weather is getting warmer, in fact a lot warmer. I did a stupid thing yesterday and thought I would go out for a quick 6 mile run at about 2 in the afternoon.. I ran the first 5K in sub 7 minute/mile and quickly faded after that. As a matter of fact, I only made it to 4 miles before totally withering away into the walk of shame. I think I kind of strained my left calf too, but I think it's alright. I'm headed out to the pool this morning for a mile swim, then 29 mile bike ride that includes about 1300 ft. of climbing. My son turns 13 today, so big celebration at the house planned for later.

I hope everybody is healthy, I know not much discussion is going on, but some of that has to do with not having a very large group. Here is a topic: Let's hear about a specific race you are training for currently and what your plan is including nutrition.

welcome .....

Hi Roger!

I would like to join this group!

I'm 48 years old and completed by first sprint tri last summer. I did another sprint in March, have a sprint planned for July and an Oly for September. I've also done countless 5ks and 10Ks. I've signed up for my first half marathon for this October

I'm a Real Estate agent here in College Station, TX. Married 24 years with 2 boys, one plays college football and another is a high school football player and track athlete.

I look forward to hearing from everyone and learning. My biggest concerns are nutrition and swimming. I just try to put time into swimming, I've never swam competitively so I'm not sure if I'm even doing it right. I hope to take swim lessons in the future.

Debi

Hi Debi and welcome!
From reading your post there are two things that stick out to me. Sprints in the early season and an oly in Sept. with swimming appearing to be your limiter. I would spend as much time in the pool as possible. For the shorter distances, that's where you will lose the bulk of your positions because you simply don't have enough time/distance to make it up. As far as nutrition goes for short course you really don't need a whole lot, of course everybody's different. For me, an early wake up with maybe a bagel and peanut butter and some coffee a couple of hours prior to race time, then sip some water during transition setup and just prior to race start. Most likely nothing during the race if it's a sprint. I like to keep a relatively empty stomach for short/fast racing. You have plenty of stored energy in your liver and muscles to last approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours of moderate exercise. If you feel you must have something, maybe a gel just prior to race start.
For an oly, it's a little more work load. I train and race with a product called Generation UCAN and use metabolic efficiency to my advantage burning fat for fuel instead of glycogen/sugar. I have the same thing for breakfast at the same time. 1 packet of UCAN about 30 min prior to race start. I only carry one bike bottle for an oly during the bike leg and it's filled with a water/redbull mixture and that's it as far as nutrition goes for me. I might carry a small fuel belt bottle in my hand with water only and use the aid station water to pour over my head for hot days. Again, everybody is different and you have to train the way you race especially where nutrition is involved. The biggest mistake on nutrition I see on short course racing is people over eating and drinking. Your body simply cannot process that many calories in that amount of time.

Hi Roger (and group!)

I think I have worked up enough nerve to officially join the group :-)

Name- Dace

Story - Female age 45. Native Southern Californian. I recently(Feb) took up walking/running and got back into Masters swim after a few years off. I have never been a runner but my husband, who is, has encouraged me and I have found that after a lifetime of thinking that I hated running, I was wrong. I have always been on the slender side, but the truth is that without regular exercise I was skinny fat...looked slender with clothes on but in reality my body fat was too high. We eat very well and I am a stickler for a clean diet. We lean towards paleo, as we are gluten free (hubby and girls are extremely intolerant) it is easy to just avoid bread, cereal, crackers and other typical grains. The younger two do eat some GF pasta, and we include potatoes, bananas and fruit along with dairy, so we don't truly fit the label.

Family- this summer we will celebrate our 24 year anniversary. We have 4 kids ages 22g,19g, 17b &10g. All live at home and work/go to school. Hubby works from home and he is training for a HIM (his third- first was a DNF) in Oct and a IM in March. He is a great support system for me although we have completely different approaches...he is a 'go for it' type and I am a slow but steady-plan ahead kind of a girl.

Currently - I am swimming masters 3x a week 1 hour each, pace is 1:45 /100m. Running 3x a week. Just hit a 4.5 milestone and I am SLOW...11.30 mpm. I am running anywhere from 3-4.5 mi each time out., and building. We were going out for weekly rides on the bike of 10 miles but for some reason that took a back seat and now hubby has a pulled quad so he is resting it up. Brought my mountain bike ;-) into the house and set up the trainer....haven't used it yet but my goal this week is to get on it 3x.

This years races....I am doing my first 10k on July 4th. No goal in mind other than to finish! Even if I need to walk some, that is fine...I just want to hit that achievement and enjoy the beer garden with my well earned commerative tshirt!

2013 races- none

Weightless- not looking to lose weight, a little more loss of body fat would be nice, but I have to watch my nutrition to ensure that I am taking in enough calories and not losing weight. I have never exercised this much in my life nor have I ever looked this good in a bikini or FELT this good...that is what I have fallen in love with, feeling great every day!

Goals- my goal is to keep at it...keep training and increase my fitness and endurance. I want to start racing and enjoy the ride being thankful for my health! I am planning to do an Oly in Oct, and a HIM in March. I between I am hopeful that I can find a few sprints and maybe a HM to participate in.
Of course this being my first venture into tri's I am going to go with the flow and try to be flexible.

I need serious work on my bike and run, those are my concerns at this point. Any advice and guidance will be much appreciated!

*edited to add - at this point I think I have settled on the Don Fink 'Be Iron Fit' training plan.


Edited by dace 2013-06-18 11:40 AM

Hello Dace, welcome.
Like most things, triathlon is a process. You are not unusual as most people come from a background of one of the disciplines. Just remember to build slow. At this point volume is more important than speed which will come with better efficiency on both the bike and the run. My advice to you, if you haven't already, is to go get a gait analysis at a reputable running store so you can be put into the right shoe for your running style. This will go a long way to prevent injury and make your runs much more enjoyable. Living in SoCal I would think you would have ample opportunity to get outside with your bike rather than spending your time on a trainer. On the other hand, you can get a much better structured workout on a trainer.
I'm glad you're here, ask all the questions you want and have fun most importantly.
Roger.

Thanks for the welcome!

My run today was nice, actually hit 5 mi and was quite proud of myself, felt great too.

I love your advice about shoes, and it is timely. My right foot has been sore at the base of the arch closest to my heel. It doesn't bother me when I am running but is sore after. I stopped by our local running store and asked about it. They suggested that it could either be my shoes, or just my form as it never hurt before I got to three miles...maybe my form gets sloppy. So I will go back with my shoes and have them advise me.

There are plenty of wonderful places to ride near by. We often just hop on the bikes and ride to, and then around, our local lake. It is awesome.
But I am not well versed in bike mechanics and with hubby sidelined I do not want to be out by myself and have a problem...although I guess that is what cell phones are for huh? I much prefer the great outdoors to riding inside, although guess I do prefer the safety if indoors!

Again, thanks for the welcome I look forward to growing alongside everyone else here.

Kapil welcome.
The BT plans are a great resource to get you started into the world of triathlon. Most training plans you find on reputable sites whether free or paid should be adequate. As long as you follow the prescribed workouts you will do fine. It's the more detailed and intangible stuff you may have questions about and that's what we're here to discuss. Ask any questions you have about your training plan or anything else, always happy to help.
Happy training,
Roger

Hi Roger + All,

I think I am ready for this group

Story: I am 37 and did my first enticer last November, followed by a sprint in February and another enticer in May. I live in Australia and at the moment I have a winter break I only started exercising properly about a year ago and my running is definitely a limiter, so I focus on that this winter - have a 14K race (City to Surf) in August.

Family: married happily and been with my hubby 18 years. Hubby does not exercise, he is a brikkie, but he is happy to be my support crew

Current training: Run: 2 sprint sessions + 2 long runs, 2 strength session, 1 touch footie session. Will increase my training and start swimming and cycling again next week. Will need some advise on how to best prepare for next season.

Weight loss: currently losing weight, 8kg down, 8kg to go - I am 1.67m and currently 70kg - people speak of their race weight, how do you know what weight is the best? I might need some advise how to fuel up properly when training. I eat healthy and clean, organic, no additives, home grown veg, eggs, meat.

2013/2014 Races: 14K run in August, 10K trail run in October, 90K bike ride in November, 1.5K swim in December, Olympic tris in January, March and May. I cannot fit any tris in before January due to work related travelling, but really want to do the Olympic distance coming season.

Goals: become my fittest ever!

Cheerio, Leila

Hi Leila, welcome. Enjoy the "off season", before you know it you will right back into full blown tri training. Your run training structure looks good. Can you fill us in on intensity and length (time more so than distance). What are your goals for say a 10K since you have some Olys scheduled later.
As far as nutrition goes, just be smart about it. If you are eating clean and maintaining your health you are fine. Everybody plateaus at some point and that's an indicator that your body has adjusted to your current regimen and needs a bit more of a push. The mistake people make in my opinion is when the workouts get more intense or the volume starts creeping up, they eat more and stay at the same weight or lose very little. As triathletes, we really aren't trying to gain muscle, but using what we have more efficiently. Don't get me wrong, strength training is important and even more so during the off season. Also, shed the weight far in advance of your goal race. Starving yourself the week or two before a race is bad news for a lot of reasons. Try and get down to your goal weight and maintain it there with very little variation throughout the season. You will see the biggest gains on the bike as your power to weight ratio improves especially on the hills. You may even notice a faster run split too, at least an easier effort for the same intensity you have been doing. Hope this helps.

We are growing as a group slowly, but not much banter, chatting, or anything else going on. My hope is that you guys will use this forum for specific questions you may have, share something you have learned with the group, anything is game.
Roger.

Hi Roger,

Thanks for your answers I am trying to reach my goal weight during off season, it has taken me about 2 months for the 8kg, so I am aiming to lose the remainder in the next 3 months, just before starting the full tri training. My biggest issue with the weight loss is not to cut down too many calories and to have sufficient energy for training, as I did get very tired to start with (1200kcal, changed to 1600kcal now).

I currently run the long runs at 1.5 hrs and the sprints at about 40min incl. warm up and cool down. Next month I will focus on shorter distances of around 1hr and try to increase split speed. I am very slow as I only started running a year ago and have to build slowly because of my back! 8min/km is what I can comfortably hold at the moment. For next month my target is 7:30min/km or better. One of the sprint sets I will do on the cross trainer, to give my knees a break.

Another focus this winter will be swim technique. As I taught myself how to swim, I probably do not swim with a lot of style and I struggle with my leg coordination during freestyle. A lot of times I will just omit leg movement and swim with my arms only, if I use my legs, I work them so hard that I cannot continue long distance. Sprint speed for me is about 1:40 per 100m and i can consistenlly hit 2:00 per 100m when swimming long distances - as with all my timing I have no idea how that compares. Neverminding my technique, swimming is my strong and favorite sport and i have been in the water all my life. Question is will I be able to read up and practice this on my own or should I rather get a swim coach who can get rid of all the bad habits I got over time?

Leila

Hi Dace,

Im no physician but it sounds like you could have plantar fasciitis. Like Rog said, a reputable running store is your next step toward your newfound love!!! The right shoes will make all the difference in the world. As an example, I have worn the same Asics for the past 5 years and never have had a problem. I recently(1 year ago) tried to buy a pair of shoes because they were on sale and man was that a HUGE mistake!! Felt fine at the store but I got home and went for a short run and found myself turning around after 1 mile! I quickly took them back and told them to give me the usual. Moral of the story is, if you find a shoe that fits you well and you do not experience problems with them, STICK WITH THOSE SHOES as long as they make them!! You will be doing yourself a huge favor. Running injuries can be nagging and quickly discourage a new runner from continuing, but they absolutely do not have to happen! And it all begins with your feet!! Welcome to the club!!