$1.79's Mentor Group FULL of fast people (Page 2)

We need to make one of those link/table things for our logs! Anybody know how to do this!?

Good luck at the races this weekend!

I made one before, I'll try to do it again this weekend, if it works I'll post about it in here.

Hey Andrew, I saw that you said ONE more a few replies ago, but was wondering if I could be one more?

So I think I'm going to have to revamp my training plan for this week.  I don't think my legs will appreciate running Weds-Fri and then racing on Saturday.  Maybe do runs M, W, Tr.  Swims M, T, W and Bike T, Tr (Already biked today).  With Thursday being an easy recovery run, and an easy recovery bike, and Friday as a rest day I think I should be good to go for Saturday.  That sound about right?

Location:  Morristown NJ

Story:  Only sport I participated in growing up was equestrian.  Was fairly competitive, but gave it up after college due to finances and career priorities.  Became something of couch potato with occasional bursts of "gym rat" activity.  Many years later , in my forties decided to get focused on my health and registered for a sprint tri on a dare with a friend.  Wasn't a runner or swimmer but had biked a bit many years ago.  So, signed up for a Total Immersion swim clinic, bought a bike, signed up for a 5 k and started training.  Since then have done a handful of sprints.   I'm lucky to live near the TI facility and get up there for lessons in the endless pool occasionally.  I'm pretty slow in all three legs, with biking perhaps being my strongest.  Interesting, because I'm the most nervous on the bike. The biking I did years ago ended after a physically minor crash with a car.  Mentally it took me out for a while.  This is the year I want to get more serious.  I completed my first half-marathon yesterday (more on that in a bit) and have signed up for my first Oly.  My challenge is, like everyone else, triathlon isn't my life...although it feels like that some days.  My work requires alot of travel, often to Europe.  EU hotels rarely have gyms or pools, so running is my typical activity those weeks.  That's is usually workable, but jetlag adds an additional dimension to the mental aspect of training. 

Family Status:   Single

Current Training:  I was focusing more on running, approx 20 - 22 miles/week.  Will back off a bit on the long runs now that the half is done and add time on the bike.  Typically I swim 2-3 times per week.   Have had knee pain/swelling due to patella-femoral tracking problems, so try to add strength training in twice a week as well.

2009 Races:   Did the More half marathon in Central Park yesterday.  Was brutal.  Summer arrived overnight.  It was 85 degrees at 8am.  (I'd been training in 30's and 40's)They cancelled the marathon and had a time cut-off at mile seven for the half.  My goal had been to finish in 2:30.  (CP is hilly and the patella-femoral problems have me walking hills occasionally).    Anyway, finished in 2:46 at 95 degrees....walking almost every significant hill and practially pulling up a chair at the water stations.  Would like to find another half mary to do this year, hopefully in cooler conditions or at least having trained in warmer ones. 

My first tri is in June. It is a longish sprint.  1/2 mile ocean swim, 19 mile bike, 5 mile run.  July is my first Olympic.  August and September have signed up for 2 sprints, but am looking for another Oly and half marathon.

Weight loss goals:  Just to keep the weight off (about 10 lbs) that I lost training for the half mary.  I also struggle with diet and getting enough protein.  Haven't eaten meat or fish in a couple years.  Easy to manage when I'm home, but not so easy when I travel.

Other challenges:  Had a major bout of plantar fasciitis 3 years ago, which was odd because I wasn't really running much.  It took cortisone injections, a year of PT, orthotics and a complete change in work shoes (no more heels) to get it under control.  I stretch like a demon daily.  I did manage the novice half mary training without any problems, so am hopefull that it is under control. 

Look forward to getting to know everyone and being part of a great mentor group!

Congrats on an awesome race!  3rd in your AG is sweet! 

I don't have much to say about fear in the water as I've never really had that become an issue.  My thoughts generally go towards gliding through the water, I guess I'm lucky.

To answer your gearing questions (from what I know): I would think that jumping from 50T to 55T on your big chainring would be a major change, especially if you've got another race coming up soon.  A jump like that could make spinning in the big chain ring a lot more difficult, but would definitely get you more top end speed.

  In the past it may have been true that you could only get 11-26 with Sram, but now you can get it in Dura-Ace. (OK, not 11-26, but 11-28) But, as you would expect, DA7900 parts are Expensive.  (Yes, that is Expensive with a capital E).  I've not used Sram cassettes at all, but I've got a Sram Red crank on my bike, and if it's any indication of what their line is like I would think that the cassettes would be good too.

The only concern I would have going from 12-25 to 11-28 would be that you might lose a gear in the middle of the cassette that you may use frequently, but I can't say that for sure because I don't know the exact specs of any of these cassettes (even the ones on my own bikes).

To answer your gearing questions (from what I know): I would think that jumping from 50T to 55T on your big chainring would be a major change, especially if you've got another race coming up soon.  A jump like that could make spinning in the big chain ring a lot more difficult, but would definitely get you more top end speed.

I don't know, I don't really know what your leg strength is like.  I run a 53T Sram Red crankset on my bike with an 11-25 just counted and I actually run a 12-25 Cassette and while I spin out on some hills it takes a pretty big hill.  I'd love to say swap out and give a new one a chance, but that's an expensive trial and error kind of process.  I'd definitely check to make sure that you've got a 53T instead of a 50T as I thought all the new P2's were coming with 50T's these days.

You can play around with this a bit: Sheldon Brown Gearing Calculator to see what speeds you would be hitting at what cadence with different cranks/gears.

Ok, in top gear with a 50-34 and a 12-25 you'll spin out going down hill (I use 120rpm as a number where I'd spin out) you'd be going 36mph, with an 11-2X you'd spin out at about 39mph.  A bigger difference than I had thought there would be.  The compact crank is designed to help with climbing, so if you could move up to an 11-26 or 27 you'd probably have the best of both worlds. 

Your bike guy probably thought 53 because that's what "standard" cranks are.  Cervelo just spec theirs with a compact.

Oh yeah, and if anyone wants that link table for their "dashboard" let me know and I'll send over the code for it.