bhoover10001's Group - Closed for the holidays! (Page 2)

Me too, thanks Michael!

I think the added help from the coaches will be just what I need as a beginner to de-mystify some things.  

Speaking of... I have a lactate threshold test coming up on Jan 17.  Has anyone done that before?  I'm just wondering what to realistically expect during the test and how I will feel after it.

I would Really like to join your group if there is room!

Name mesquires/ Mary

 Story: I am 25 and in the worst shape of my life. I have never done a triathlon and everyone I talk to about it thinks I am crazy. I grew up being very athletic, playing both soccer and softball at the club level until I was 17. Once that ended I really haven't done anything on a competitive level and really miss it.  I like to run and bike and am not horrible in the water either, so I think I want to give it a shot. My one big obstacle is finding time to train, as I work full time and attend school full time, so with that as well as my family I am kept pretty busy.

 Family status: married with a son

 Current training: None as of right now, Starting 12/21 when I get back from vacation. Starting slow with running a few times a week, spin class a few times a week and the pool one or two times as well. 

 2008 races: none

 2009 races: plan to do a few local 5k and maybe a half marathon towards the end of summer. Want to complete my first sprint tri around sept, just need to purchase a bike first

 I think I would really benefit from a group like this, for the encouragement and the accountability would be awesome. I am really enthusiastic about starting my training and starting on the road to complete my first race. 

Yes, I've done an LT test.  I do my own field tests now instead.  Either way, if you do it correctly, you will hurt a lot during the test, but it is relatively short, so long-term soreness is not much of an issue.

There are some pitfalls with these tests.  Ask lots of questions and try to get a sense of how confident you should be in the results.  Also be aware that you'll need to turn the test results into either heart-rate based or pace-based training zones -- that's the real point of the number.  You can estimate these zones in other ways as well, and it's a good idea to do that.  A single test shouldn't be your only point of reference, IMO, even if the tester really knows what he or she is doing (and alas, not all of them do).

There are several different protocols out there for self-testing, including one on this site, here), or use any recent (running) race results to estimate LT (there are tables that you can use to translate race results into estimated LT, such as Daniels' and McMillan's), and compare the resulting zones.  A single test shouldn't be your only point of reference, IMO.

Also, bear in mind that you will get different numbers for the bike and the run (and the swim).

Hope that helps -- sorry if I'm just repeating stuff that's obvious to you.

Very cool.  thanks for doing that -- I was trying to figure out an easy way to have everythign in one place.  Problem solved.

For some reason, the link to this thread wasn't working for me, even though it looks right.  I re-pasted it in and then it worked.  Go figure.

Thanks, Michael!  It's not repetitive at all, I really don't know what to expect.  I am doing a run test and we are establishing my heart rates for heart rate training from that, I believe.  I'm nervous about it for sure.  

 Also, thanks for the resources, those are awesome!

Those who are doing an IM in 2009 -- when will you start your formal training for that?  Just curious, because I'm working on my 2009 training plan right now.

I'll start:  I'm doing IMKY in late August, and I'm currently planning to start training on Jan 5 for a 1/2IM that happens in early May.  Then a week off and I'll start training for IMKY 'officially', though I suppose really I'm starting Jan. 5.

And to those who have done this before:  what do you think of that overall plan?

I am doing IMKY as well.  I'm still trying to figure out my schedule due to all the different sports i do.  I will do some mountain bike races, at least one XTERRA triathlon as well as maybe some crit races, a HIM and maybe some crit races between now and IMKY.  But i will be starting 10 weeks of base and build up and then a 20 week plan.  So i am probably going to start mid Feb.

HAHAH I don't want to hear about 50 degrees man!!  We are in the negatives with our wind chill and covered in snow & ice (I'm in the Chicago area).  I had to wear my thermal running gear just to get to the train to get to work downtown! 

 But I, too, am slacking! 

That's right, I forgot you have lived in the midwest!  Either way, I'm still being a slacker!  Though, we are getting ready for Christmas (THERE'S my exucuse, haha).  We have Christmas day at our house again this year and I'm trying to plan so I don't have to cook everything the day of. 

 I did post my New Athlete profile in the Training forums though, that probably counts for something!

Hi everybody! A small note from ArnE. That happens to be my real first name. Ann has chosen something very close, arny. How did arny come about?

Anyways! Right now sitting in my inlaws cottage looking out on Lake Huron (Georgian Bay) 2 hrs north of Toronto, Ontario. It is 12F, strong winds and the lake effect is in top gear, dumping tons of blowing snow. I could do a run but since my training plan does not kick in until Sunday it is better to stay on the warm side of the window and enjoy the spectacle, have to dig out the car later though.

I think running in snow, ice and sleet can be the best exercise you can get. I got my qualifing time for Boston doing all my runs in pretty bad condition, Q in Colubus Ohio in February this year.

I just read one of the new stories on this site about a guys first tri, he did it on a mountainbike. I did my first this summer, a sprint on my 20 year old cast iron racer. That was fine, it was kind of a community tri with people of all sizes on all kinds of bikes. Then I did a half Iron distance in August on the same bike. Wow, it was the only steel bike around, I even had the impression people had their bike inside their car and not on a rack to prevent dust from touching it.  

So!!! I have to get a real bike. My only race this year will be a full iron distance. The bike part has total climb of something around 8000 feet. Then the run has another 5000 feet.

I am not in the position to go all the way but maybe around $2000. Any thoughts??? what are you guys using and what have your experiences been. Right now I was thinking a nice cervelo p2sl aluminium with ultegra??? I guess this is a good time of the year to buy???

I know Santa is not bringing a bike but maybe some bits and pieces that I can put together towards a bike.

Merry Xmas to all of you! God Jul!!

Cheers  Arne

Arne,

I'm no authority on bikes, but I'm sure that the one thing you must ensure is a good fit.  Don't fall in love with that shiny red tri bike in the window until you know whether it fits...

As for slacking, yeah, me too.  But my slacking period is coming to an end.  I managed to gain only 5 lbs during my slackfest, and that will be easy to get back off.

And as for weather -- I too have lived in the midwest (grew up in Wisconsin), and am glad I'm not there now!  It's cold enough here -- 27 degrees.  Fortunately, I don't have to make any excuses, as I've promised myself that I will NOT run until January.  (Yes, I'm addicted enough to running that I have to make resolutions not to run, rather than vice versa.  As for swimming, well, that's a different story altogether.)

Happy Holidays everyone!

Hey Arne,

I, too, am scouring over bike information.  I have a Trek hybrid and it's HEAVY.  So I also need a "real" bike.  I am drooling over the Cervelo 2009 P1, an entry level tri for under 2K.  I believe I am going for a middle of the road road bike, I am not a good enough cyclist at this point to justify anything over $1000 to myself (though the P1 has my husband's blessing, so it's funny that I am hesitant).  The felt s32 is another one I am thinnking about - it's the wallpaper on our macbook at home.  So much to think about!

As for the p2sl, they are discontinued for 2009 so you can probably get a really good deal.  From the reviews, I have read that it is nearly (about 98%) as aero as the p3, a great bike for the $ (and now with the discounts, even better bike for the $).

 Sam