Crowny2's HR Redlining Group - MAXED OUT (Page 2)

Lots of great questions here. 

I would GREATLY recommend doing a smaller one, especially with a pool swim.  It will give you all kinds of valuable experience without having to worry about the anxiety of open water.  And if swimming is your weakness, it will then be one less thing to have to worry about. 

And if you are going to go watch a tri, volunteer at it instead.  You will get to see everything that goes on behind the scenes and it will also give you some great insight.  You will get to see how the pro's and elite do it.  So go for it.

I can't really recommend one level over the other.  I've only ever had the level I'm at and it is perfect for me.  You really need to weigh what the different levels provide against what you think you need and then go from there. 

I also don't have any experience with a tri club, BUT it can't hurt to investigate.  They may do group rides, or even group swims and will probably give you tons of advice.

Finally, alcohol.  This I DO have experience with.  It all depends on what you want to get out of training and racing.  Me personally, I drink like I normally do (glass of wine a couple of times a week or less) up until the week or two before a race.  Then I go dry.  That being said, there is a noticable difference in performance in training when I've had a few glasses of alcohol the night before versus not having any.   It truly is up to you.  And as time progresses you will find out what works best for you.

So many of you are starting your training this week. 

One of the best pieces of advice I can give is start small and slow.  Especially for you folks that haven't had much physical activity in your lives in a while.  Trust me.  Do NOT go out and try to run 3+ miles or swim 1000+ yards your first week out.  You will regret it.

What helped me when I got into training two years ago was to have a set training plan.  Sure I felt I could have gone farther or faster on the first few weeks of training.  But I knew that if I did that I would do one of a few things.  Get injured.  Burn out.  Ruin my race plan.

So if you don't have a plan, get one.  Either through BT, or through books or online sources.  And if you have one, stick to it.  If it says only run 10 minutes, then only run 10 minutes.  If it says do an easy ride on the bike, do an easy ride on the bike.  The plans are designed to get your body ready in the fastest and most efficient way possible.  Deviation from the plan may ruin that.

Also, regarding the plan, do not worry about missing a workout every once in a while.  Try to make it less than one workout a week.  And if you DO have to miss a workout, I would recommend missing the workout for the discipline you are strongest in. 

And above all, remember to have fun!

I am by no means an expert.... But there are lots of decent used road bikes out there that can be had relatively inexpensively.  You pay $$$ for name brands.  The frames are built by a very small number of factories and all the major companies put there name on the bike. Probably one of the easiest things to look at is the level of components.   I've been told by numerous bike sources that you should have at least a Shimano 105 level of component on the bike.  There are tons of road bikes available with this level used out there.  Of course the sky is the limit in terms of what you can spend.

Looks like we have the beginnings of a good community here. That's great!

Thanks for the advice on starting small and slow. I went for a 15 minute run last night because that was the plan. I felt I could double it but didn't. So the advise was timely and makes me feel like I am doing the right thing.

Regarding bikes, my LBS is great. They recommend either Shimano 105 or Ultegra. They will last year in and out without having to upgrade. Dura Ace is for the pros and hard-core enthusiasts and is overkill for me. For complete newbies like me they recommend going with your existing bike (or borrow one from a friend) for the first season or at least first event. Then if you really like triathlons to go for a good 105 or Ultegra road or tri bike.

Does anyone have a trainer? I am thinking of picking one up to make my life easier in the winter. I live in Northeast and the 5th snow storm of the year is coming on Saturday. Any advice on which one, where to buy, discounts, etc?

All great advice, well done folks.

Yes, you can spend the farm on a new bike.  But as was recommended, either go with what you have, if you dont' have borrow, and if you can't borrow, get a bottom of the line road bike.  Don't worry about a tri bike.  This is my third season and I still don't have one and probably won't get one will the bike itself (I have a Giant A1 with clip on aero bars and am finally getting fitted Saturday) becomes the limiter.  In other words, right now I am the limit to going faster.  And when I am no longer the limiter, THEN the bike is next on the list.  I'm thinking at least another 2 years. 

Also a road bike will give you MUCH more flexibility to do other things.  Tri bikes are good for two things. Triathlons and time trials.  With road bikes, you can go on easy rides, do criteriums if you want, century rides, etc. 

Finally, about $.  For a beginner, I wouldn't go over $1k.  And at this time of the year you should be able to find some great deals as the older models go out and the new ones come in.  Just like the car industry.

Yep!  Follow the plan.  I know you feel you can go farther, but it is important to just follow the plan.  IF you do feel you can go farther on any of the excercises, make certain it is no more than 10% greater than what is planned.  That is a good rule of thumb. 

I have a CycleOps Fluid2 that I will be riding tonight.  Either theirs or Kurt Kinetic or good.  And there are probably close outs at places like trisports.com.

Heart Reat Monitors (HRM) can be very beneficial if you know how to use them.  In other words, know what the data means. 

If you don't have a plan that is directing you based on your HR, I would steer clear of it for now.  Just a wasted purchase until you decide this is what you want to do.

Disclosure: I have a Garmin 305 Forerunner. 

Happy Monday Redliners. 

Hope everyone had a nice weekend.

Good morning, Redliners.

Kind of a little tip of the week to keep things going around here.

And the phrase is "Just do something". 

As Age Group triathletes (that is what we are called at races), we have a life outside of training for triathlons.  Work.  Family.  Other commitments.  And many times, they can get in the way of training the way you WANT to train.  But don't let that stop you from doing training completely on a day you are supposed to train.

So then just do something.  For instance, if you are supposed to have a 30 minute run for the day and you just don't have the time.  Do 10  minutes.  Or try to get a ride in, either on an indoor trainer, or stationary bike at the gym.  Anything.  But try to do it.  Get yourself into the habit of doing something on just about every day of the week.  And in the long run, it will become part of your daily routine and will be easier to do and harder to skip.

But the most important thing to keep in mind is to do something aerobic for the day.  Ideally each of the three disciplines  at least 2x a week.  But if you can't, "Just do something". 

Keep Tri'ing.

Hello!

<knock, knock, knock>

Is this thing on?

Hellloooooo?!?!?!

Oof. Being sick is no fun.  I am currently trying to avoid getting whatever my wife has been sick with over the past 5 days. 

I had about 2 weeks last year in February where I was essentially incapacitated.  Put a bit of a kink into my early season training.

What do you have?  Hope you are taking care of yourself. 

I'm back! Finally. I've been at work everyday all day and night for almost two weeks...

I'm realligning my training calendar late tonight b/c I'm totally off it. But I'm running a 5k next Sunday and I'm planning on getting four runs in prior to. Then I'll be back on the tri plan.

I have found that signing up for a race helps motivate me. Fortunately for me there is a local company (Max Performance, near Boston) that organizes tri- and du-athons specifically for beginners. The season opener is May 10th and that's what I'm shooting for for my first. I'll likely add a few more 5k's and perhaps one 10k before to help calm my nerves. I ran track and cross country in high school and still got nervous walking up to the start line before every race. I think a few basic road races will help me out.

WELCOME BACK!  What, in the name of all that is holy, do you do?

Ugh.  That stinks.  Remember to stay hydrated. 

I work in finance. Considering the wake of destruction the economy has left behind work has become "intense" lately...

A 30-minute session on the treadmill will be a welcome start to my morning tomorrow.

Mercy.  The run will do your body AND your spirit some good. 

Please share your trials and tribulations and good luck training.

Excellent post!

So, how was everyone's first month of training. 

What has worked?

What hasn't?

What have you been pleased with?

What do you want to continue to work on?

The 5k went smoothly for my first one in about 1.5 years. I finished in about 31:45, offical time still TBA, and I finished without walking and most importantly without hurting myself. Next one is one Feb 15th and I'm shooting for sub-30:00. Also, the cham codwer was excellent and a great way to finish a freezing cold run in the middle of Boston Harbor.

My first tangible goal of the year is to finish a 5k with a good 1/4 mile kick at the end. When I ran cross country and track in high school I always finsihed very strong. There was nothing left in my tank on Sunday. So Feb 15th will be a sub-30:00 with a strong kick at the end.

My girlfriend ran the race with we and I have found that it works well to keep me motivated. Including her helps her understand that I need some time to get the training in. She is more a runner than multi-sport person and is thinking of training for a 10k, which would be great because we can train together once or twice a week. That would make it alot easier.

I am still waiting for my trainer to arrive. I got a pair of returned Shimano MTB shoes at the REI garage sale this weekend. They were only $27 and used only a handful of times. So spin class here I come.

Have a great week everyone!

Fantastic.  So you were hitting right at about 10:00 miles.  Nothing wrong with that for your first race back.  Nothing wrong with that at all.  Well done.  And instead of thinking of shaving 1:17 off, think of shaving about 0:25 per mile off.  That might help you grasp it a bit better. 

Congratulations on meeting your first goal!  And way to put realistic goals.  Nicely done indeed.