Jackjack's group - closed (Page 2)

Which training plan from the training bible are you using?

Heidi-
Good luck to you this weekend as well! I run some 5k races as well, and I usually try to set a goal for each one. My main struggle with races is pacing myself. I tend to go out too hard and run out of steam at the end of the race. I think focusing on maintaining a strong yet controlled pace during the race is key, and when you get towards the end, gradually picking up the pace (as you can handle it, not too much) is a better approach. I've found that the races I focus on doing that, I tend to do better and also feel better afterwards.
Hopefully it's warmer out this weekend for the outdoor events! My mini tri is indoor except the run, so I hope it's warm enough that I can make an easy transition from the bike to the run (not having to layer up to go outside!)

Dee
I've been thinking about your training plan suggestions (what can I say I enjoy doing stuff like this!).   Assuming both of your "A" races have similar priorities then my suggestions and comments are as follows

1. I think the 3x bal olympic doesn't look to be enough of a challenge for you (Please note other teammates that Dee is in her 3rd year of tris and logs pretty substantial time working out).  If you look through the plan you wouldn't be progressing much from what you are doing now and I don't think it even gives you detail at your membership level does it?

2.  I think the HIM style plan would fit more in with progression and length of the workouts you already do now.  If you are doing a fair bit of volume then it will be beneficial to a shorter race as well.  However the HIM plan does have some more intensity in it which I think will fit right in with your Oly plans - and your natural tendency to like doing it (When I was training for my IM I think pretty much all my training over the winter was just endurance and low intensity and in the spring for my first sprint triathlon I smashed my previous years sprint time)

3.  So how about this.  Use the 20 week HIM plan that you mentioned but slightly adapt it for 2 weeks in the middle - the week either side of your Oly race.  Start the HIM plan week beginning 27th April, do it for 10 weeks.  I think that brings you to start of race week.  Do a mini taper for that week (I can help you with that if need be but it also very personal).  Then do a mini recovery week for week after race to slot you back in for the other 10 weeks of HIM plan which will take you to your other A race in Sept (if I have got all the dates right!).  That means you only have next week without a plan and I would suggest you look at the first week of the plan and base your workouts next week on that plan so you get used to it and transition in smoothly.

Remember this is just a suggestion and there are lots of ways of doing it (and I won't be offended if you don't like the idea) - most important is consistency and at your volume having purpose to each workout - easy days are easy for a reason etc.

Cynthia, Jenny and Heidi
Good luck this weekend and have fun!

As for 5k, I agree it's all about pacing.  With the nerves and adrenaline etc I suspect pretty much everyone will take off faster than they can sustain so I'd suggest you make sure you are warmed up properly.  I like to jog off somewhere for 5mins and getting out of the crowd of tense racers also seems to help sometimes.
Again sound advice from Jenny.  Once the initial starting rush has happened get into a pace you are comfortable with and you know you can sustain for the whole time if need be.  Then, if with 0.5 to a 1.0m to go and you still feel fresh, THEN start pushing yourself a little and finish strong.  This will be a great bench mark for the future to monitor your progress too.

Hi Diana

Sorry to hear about your shoulder.  I hope it is healing well (healed?). Are you able to swim yet?  I really believe one of the benefits of triathlons is the cross training and helping to keep injury free. 
Do you have any triathlon goals this year to work towards?  Do you follow a particular training plan (formal or made up   ) or do you just do what you want to do.  Apart from your swimming you look like you have got some consistency nailed!  Well done for that!
Let's help motivate you towards some of your goals (race orientated or not).  By the way I love some of your short term goals - very well balanced!

Morning Ladies.  East coast is awake (well me barely anyway but that's the joy of getting my son on school bus at 6.45am! - and no I do not workout before that!)
So what are plans for today?
I am intending to do my long run today.  There I have said it so it has to happen now.  I want to at least get all my key workouts done before we leave on Friday

Good morning! It's a beautiful day here in Albany! I brought my running stuff with me to work. My plan is to do my run in the beautiful park that is adjacent to my office building, right after work.

I'm scheduled to do a 38 minute run today!

I have a swim, bike, and run to do in the next three days... I'm thinking I'll do a long(ish) brick today (30min bike/30min run) and just swim tomorrow and nothing Friday.  This is all in hopes that I'll have fresh(ish) legs for my mini tri on Saturday morning. 

-Cynthia

Thought's on pacing during a 5K:

I have a hard time not getting caught up in the crowd, and running at a pace faster than I usually run for the first mile.
Then, I panic that I won't have enough to give for the rest of the race, so I slow down. Then, I end the race slower than I need to.

How do I listen to my body, amidst all the distractions of the race? Any tricks for gauging about when I'm reaching the 1.5 and 2 mile markers?

I don't have a HRM, so that isn't an option.

Thanks,
Heidi

It's afternoon here in MA - a beautiful one.

Jackie - my shoulders are well healed, although I've lost much of the strength and speed I had previously.  I can swim (short amounts) and need to start building that up again.  I am really excited about triathlon for precisely the reason you mention - hopefully if I divide my time between three sports, I can remain injury free. 

I don't have a particular training plan - I tend to write my own.  I do stick to them, however.  One of the joys of being a college student is that I don't have kids or parents that can keep me from doing my workouts.  My goals are essentially those listed on my page... but I'd love to compete a triatholon this summer.  Maybe a sprint?  I'll really have to work on the biking, and I've never done an open water swim before.  I'll be in California over the summer - SF.  Race recommendations would be helpful.

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend!  You guys all seem so pulled together!  I'm racing my first ever 5k next weekend, and have no idea how to approach it, laughs.

Di

Di-  When are you in SF?  there are monthly sprint races in Pleasanton, about 45mins drive from SF.  see  this link.  It's a warm lake swim (no wetsuit needed), mostly flat bike (one short hill about 3/4 way thru), and a fire road run with 5-6 short hills. Most other "nearish" races are bay or ocean swims requiring a wetsuit.

-Cynthia

Heidi - Most of the 5Ks I've done have a route map posted either on the race website or, possibly, just on-site race morning.  I try to study it briefly to get a sense of water spots and mileage markers.  Some races have also had placards posted on the course noting km or miles. 

If you're a rabbit starter with all the hub-bub and go out too fast, then figure out the 0.5 and 1.0 mile markers so you can gauge and correct your pace early.  Then check for the 2.0 and 2.5 landmarks to pick up your finishing pace.

-Cynthia, theorizing not necessarily practicing

Cynthia
I think that's great planning of your workouts to be ready for Saturday.

Heidi (and Di for that matter for next week!)
Yes, as said before all the 5k's (and longer) have had some kind of distance markers on them.  Have a look at the website or anywhere you got the race info.    It is hard not to get caught up in all that adrenaline but try and settle down quickly.  A few of the bigger races I have done have even had markers at the start line with pace/mile on them every few yards backwards - so faster people line up in front etc
If no maps available and you can find the route then you can study it on map quest or google maps for example so you have reference points eg which road you pass.   Some courses are out and back and some circular.
I must admit what I like to do (and I will do this on race morning if I can't get there before) is to drive the route so I can note landmarks, hills etc.
And remember nerves are normal, especially for first race/ first race in years.  As soon as you get going they will all dissipate.

Hi everyone!

Well, this was a crazy day. I was at the gym at 5:30 am. I ran 30 minutes on the treadmill with my middle 20 minutes at a 9:30 pace, which felt pretty good. My hamstring felt good - no soreness or pain, felt normal. Then I jumped into the pool for almost 30 minutes and did these fun 100 yard intervals. Drove home to discover my 2 boys had eaten ALL of the pancakes for breakfast, so I had a cup of coffee and a banana on the walk to the bus stop. Proceeded to have a 2 1/2 hour park playdate then did the grocery store workout (see how fast you can shop before the 2 year old starts opening every package in the cart!). That does it for me today - tomorrow night I am going to yoga class and then lift some weights. I need to work on balancing out my leg muscles and strengthen my knees.

GOOD LUCK to everyone racing this weekend!
On the 5k: to echo what has been said, take it easy the first mile and run at a pace you know you can maintain for the distance. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement and run too fast in the beginning. Try this for fun in the last 1/2-1 mile- pick up the pace and start counting the number of people you pass before the finish line. I find that playing games while I run keeps my mind off the running and I will actually run faster.

Jackie, I really like your suggestion of modifying the HIM program. I especially like taking the 2 weeks around the olympic race and doing the taper/race/recovery weeks, then jumping back into the HIM program. Yes, I like some intensity in my workouts which is why I was drawn to that particular program. I will work on getting myself into a pattern the next couple of weeks so that I can slide into the program without stressing my body too much. Thank you for coming up with that training idea

Have a wonderful day.
It is sunny and 50 in Colorado right now. Of course, by tomorrow night it will be either raining or snowing. That's April for ya!

Dee

Heidi-
The trick I usually do is once you get going in the race, when I am to the point I need to pick up my pace, I find someone ahead of me (not too far) who is running around the pace I want to increase to. Then I focus on GRADUALLY getting my speed up to the point where I can "catch" them. I did this in the Chicago Triathlon last year for the 5k run, and actually ended up running a 9 minute mile pace. Again, the increases need to be controlled- I didn't sprint or overdo it. (Sprinted the last straight away, mostly because of excitement that I was about to finish my first triathlon!)
I am jealous of the 50 degree weather. Although it is supposed to warm up here in Wisconsin in the next couple days. I hope it's nice for the race on Sunday. The mini triathlon I am doing is an indoor 400yd pool swim, 8 mile spin bike, and a 2.3 mile outdoor run. I am excited to work on transitions. My plan is to wear my swim suit (I have a two piece tri-swim suit, mostly b/c I hate the feeling of a wet full swim suit when I'm not in the pool) and was planning on wearing that and my tri-shorts in the pool, and throw on my jersey and shoes in transition. My transition times for Chicago last year were HORRIBLE- any advice/tricks for these? I know to practice- I am doing that tomorrow and Friday- but tips to decrease time are what I am looking for! I am wearing my running shoes on the bike (using toe cages on the spin bike) and I have the speed laces on my shoes (mainly since my laces are ALWAYS coming untied!).
Thanks!!

Cynthia - I'll be in SF from May 25th until I go back to school at the end of August.  Thank you so much for the link!  That sounds perfect - i love the idea of swimming outdoors, but really can't afford a wetsuit. 

Did a half hour of biking at the gym today, and then hopped in the pool!!  Did a reasonably paced half mile, with no pain.  It was wonderful. 

Unfortunately I have a paper due tomorrow that I haven't started yet... so I'm going to get to work. 

By the way, Dee, I think your end of the race strategy is brilliant!  : )

These are all great ideas! The web site doesn't have a map of the course . I'm wondering if I can drive it, but it's in a State park, so I think parts of the course are not on drivable roads.  I will get there early and see if I can find a map of the course. Or, I guess it could force me to talk to people I don't know, to try to get some info.

Well, this is great!!  Come race the June 20 tri-for-fun with me!! 

There's also a tri in Fremont in June --http://www.mermaidtriathlon.com/09/Mermaid_Tri_Du.html  I'll be racing Muddy Buddy that weekend so it's a no go for me. 

-Cynthia

Ladies sorry i've been missing in action basically all week. Good luck on your races this weekend and have fun on vacation Jackie!!!

One more day of work for me and then school is basically over (minus 1 final 2 weeks from now) So excited to go swimming tomorrow after tunring over all projects and work!!!

Have a great day ladies!

I"m so sorry to hear about the accident.
I hope everyone has a safe day.

I am off to ride my bike trainer for 1 hour downstairs while the little guy sleeps.
We have a monster winter storm moving in tonight, so I hope I make it to my yoga
class tonight. After all the fiasco with my older son's school this morning, I need some
quiet time on my yoga mat.

Have a great day!

I had a nice swim this morning, first time doing 25s.  I was gasping for breath, but still thought that it was "fun." 

This thinking that swimming is fun is a new feeling for this season; I'm amused that it is.  who knew?!

-Cynthia