shmeeg's Winter Madness Mentor group - OPEN TO HIPPIES (Page 2)

Hi Jay,

Would be great if i could join your Mentor Group...I've entered an Enticer Race for the 13/02/11. More details to come.

James

Shmeeg, hopefully your group isn't filled up yet. I'm in the military too, so it would be great to have a mentor with similar commitments. Please let me know if you can help. Thanks.-Bob

Hi Jay! If you have room for one more I'd sure love to join this mentor group!

Story: I'm a 35 year old and I am a total newbie to triathlon. I've never been a very athletic person, although I did play rugby many years ago! I really want to improve my fitness now though, and am inspired to try triathlons this summer. I started running and cycling a couple of months ago and swim occasionally. I actually love to swim, although technique is going to need some serious work.

Family Status: Married to a great husband (he's loosely training for a duathlon) with 3 boys (9, 6, 3). I work from home so have some flexibility in my schedule, but my hubby works out of town a lot, so it's a challenge sometimes.

Current Training: Just trying to get a basic fitness level. Run on treadmill 3-4 miles 2-3x a week, cycle on indoor trainer on my mountain bike 2x per week. Buying a road bike very soon!

2010 races - none!
2011 races - 5k run on Jan 1, 2-3 sprint tris this summer, also want to work towards a 10k run

Weightloss - need to lose 30 pounds or so, fun, fun.

Sure James, welcome!  Awesome, already signed up for a race?  Good work.



Cool, welcome aboard brother.  Wherebouts are you stationed?



Sure, you're in!  I will probably cut it off at this point.  This rounds the group out at about 10, which I think will be a good number since there are so many of you brand new to BT and triathlons.  For those of you who haven't raced yet, let me be the first to congratulate you on taking up the challenge! I am very passionate about our sport, and it's great to see new triathletes here!  Tomorrow's pretty much a wash for me, so I'll try to brainstorm some topics and start some discussion this weekend.  For those of you who havent done so, please post some bio info and your first name so the other members can get to know you.  Here's to a great season!

Edited by shmeeg 2010-12-30 10:01 PM

shmeeg,

I am a 43yo (overweight) male, 25 years with DoD, and a background similar to yours - recreational swimming, little biking, and enough running to do a few 10k events earlier this year.  Due to a series of roadblocks, though, I've been out of training since Feb - but I'm ready to get back on the wagon.  I'm very seriously interested in Olympic distance triathlon and have a new road bike, but have found little local support.  I'd love to join your group, if there's space available.

Thanks,
Brian Pettitt
Okinawa, Japan
http://www.facebook.com/bapettitt


Edited by nikuman 2010-12-30 10:57 PM

Hi Jay,
If you have room I'm looking for a mentor.
I am a 34yr old sahm to 4 kiddos. I took up running at the end of August to get rid of the remaining baby weight. I used c25k and when i started could not imagine that i would actually be able to run 3 miles but i did! Now i love running and just being active in general.  I am planning to do my first sprint in July and hopefully a half marathon in May.

my current training is mostly running 3-5miles 3-5 times a week.  Hoping to get in swim and bike starting next week. btw i suck at swimming and i really haven't been on a bike outdoors for over 12 years but hey i like a challenge

Thanks
Rachel

Hi!
I was just seeing if this is still open!
I am a married mother of three who is also a full-time student; married to a full-time law student. I have never done a tri before, but will be doing a Sprinit in July with a girlfriend back home in Washington State. I am currently in VA just outside of DC. I let myself go for years after my children were born and am now along with my husband chaning our life style, not just doing a Tri or diet. We are excited, and I have a terrific supportive spouse. However he has never done this before, and my girlfriend is 3,000 mi away. So, I will be training alone. Our family loves the outdoors and being active, and my kiddos even want us to get more healthy so that we can be more fun! I hope that this will be a good exsperiance for me and that i will be able to do more in the future; but first need help figurging things out!
Les
29 yrs

Hello Jay! If you've still got room I'd appreciate joining your group.  I'm a novice at tri's but a well-seasoned athlete. Can elaborate later.  Just want to send this off to make sure I get into a group this year.  Thanks! Wendy

Ok,
Brian, Rachel, Les and Wendy are the last ones.   Welcome aboard athletes!  

For real this time, kitchen is closed!

LOL! I so tell my kiddos that!! I can't wait to be in contact! I'm really excited to be doing this!

Ok gang, I went ahead and made a quick list of everyone's names.  Copy and paste this into your training log or somewhere you can refer back to it later.

Username	First name
shmeeg	Jay
Meulen	Brian
joelg11	Joel?
carolmc	Carol
saongiri
Fitnessfreak67	Trisha
ljee64	Laura
jamesjong	James
bobsise	Bob
lsmapp
nikuman	Brian
rachel5576	Rachel
LAH	Les
swomen1	Wendy

If there are any mistakes or a blank by your name, please feel free to correct me!

Edited by shmeeg 2010-12-31 12:46 AM

Let me try to establish some....structure to the group.  Not rules, structure .

Since we have 15 members, let's try to keep discussion on the same topic.  There's nothing worse than having to read through two pages of posts that you don't understand or don't know what it's in response to.

USE YOUR TRAINING LOG! If you log your workouts, we will be able to 1) send each other inspires and motivation 2) be able to give you better advice/recommendations regarding specific training and 3) it will make you more accountable and committed to your training.  It's hard to help when you say "where can I improve" but can't even tell the group how many miles you ran that week.  Add our group members to your BT friends list so they can see your training logs.

Be respectful of other members.  We might not always agree on something and sitting behind a screen and keyboard lends a certain level of anonymity that might prompt you to say something that you otherwise wouldn't if it were a face to face conversation.

Lastly, ask questions.  It doesn't matter how embarrassing or silly you think the question is.  I GUARANTEE that you aren't the first, nor the last to ask it.  Chances are, there is another member in the group that is wondering the same thing!

I don't claim to be an expert, or know the only way to do something.  Some of you may be more versed in some of the disciplines and able to offer up better advice than I can.  That's awesome, don't feel like Jay's way is the only way.  We're all here to help and learn from each other!  If you've got any questions, start firing them out or I will start a 'Question of the Day' on Saturday to get some discussion started.

Jay,

someone did this for us in our last mentor group and it was a really nice touch and easy way for us to check on each others logs and keep each other honest!! I took the liberty of taking your list and adding hyperlinks to our names linking to the corresponding logs(for everyone who gave us access to their logs anyway. If you copy the list below and go to your settings/Training Blog Customization/Dashboard, paste the list there and "update dashboard" The list with links will always be at the top of your training logs.

Username	First name
shmeeg	Jay
Meulen	Brian
joelg11	Joel?
carolmc	Carol
saongiri
Fitnessfreak67	Trisha
ljee64	Laura
jamesjong	James
bobsise	Bob
lsmapp
nikuman	Brian
rachel5576	Rachel
LAH	Les
swomen1	Wendy

 

Edited by Meulen 2010-12-31 10:10 AM

I tried!!! LOL. I can't get all the spacing out of the top of that paste with HTML source. Maybe if you copy it from my log and paste it too your own? Someone let me know if that works?


Actually, Jay, I just found out I have my own group. I'll still pop in this one here and there, because.....Jay's the FRIGN' MAN!!!! You guys are in good hands!!



Edited by Meulen 2010-12-31 10:12 AM

How you guys doing?  Jay, hope you don't mind me dropping in every now and then. 

Brian, I tstarted using the Higdon plan last winter.  I found it very hard to integrate with cycling and swimming.  The program is very run focused and doesn't allow for cross training.  When the plan calls for a rest day, Higdon intends for you to take the whole day off.  Not very realistic for us!!!  

If you chose this plan, just be careful, keep paces comfortable, and follow the plan closely.  As you've already seen, the mileage builds quick... so, don't be afraid to fall back either.

Cheers!

Doing great!!! I'm finding the same thing with the Higdon plan. I had a 5 mile run I was supposed to do at pace a day after computrainer. According to Mcmillan's calculater, my pace should be aound a 7 minute mile!!!! Wasn't happening for me the day after computrainer!! LOL I just did a couple intervals at pace and focussed on getting the miles in.

My first name is laurie (for user lsmapp!)

No Sir don't mind at all.  Stop in any time!

Haha, thanks for doing the legwork on that Brian, GL w/ your group!

Let's try this username table again

Username	First name
shmeeg	Jay
joelg11	Joel?
carolmc	Carol
saongiri
Fitnessfreak67	Trisha
ljee64	Laura
jamesjong	James
bobsise	Bob
lsmapp	Laurie
nikuman	Brian
rachel5576	Rachel
LAH	Les
swomen1	Wendy

Edited by shmeeg 2010-12-31 12:12 PM

Gonna head out for a bike ride in a bit, then got some honey-do's to take care of, and lastly a little indulgence in some libations tonight to celebrate the NY.  Anybody else getting in some training today?

I'm at work right now. I'll be going down to the gym and getting in my Higdon prescribed runs before I leave the city and head back home to the burbs. Tomorrow morning I'll be taking a spin class. I don't normally do spin class because I don't believe they are as useful as time on the trainer or computrainer with power meter, but one of my teamates and friends is teaching a class for NY's day and it was a good excuse to get my wife out and training again with some of our summer riding buddies.

I forgot to mention Jay, I joined team XxX Athletico racing for 2011.

Nice! I really <3 cycling more than the other disciplines.  A roadie group or are you part of the MTB crew?

The team is REALLY big. They have both roadies and mtb'ers as well as a few triathlete's and Xterra peeps too.

Hi Jay.  

Thank you for making room for me in the group.

I just did my first triathlon (sprint) this past October.  I wanted to see how well I could do, e.g., could I at least finish!! I did (second in my age group and fourth overall among women) and had a blast.  Couldn't help but wonder how much better I would have done with some coaching and targeted training, which is what brought me here. 

I am a lifelong athlete but didn't take up solo sports until after college.  My workout routine goes something like this:  3300-3600 yard swim 4 days a week; 1 hour spin twice a week and 1.5 hour spin once a week; and a five mile run twice a week.  Yes, two of those days are cardio doubles. Three times a week I do cardio-strength training doubles.

I have great endurance and strength. I swim masters so have that pretty much down except pacing in anticipation of the balance of the tri event, and strategies for an open water free-for-all. I want to get faster at the run and cycle, the two pieces of the tri for which I don't have a workout partner to push me.  And, I have to admit.  I get wicked bored with both!

So those are my goals :-).  Any advice on where to start?!!

Personal stats:  I am 51, single, mom to two adult children ages 24 and 22.  Am in higher education administration and working toward finishing off my masters degree in June 2011.  Have military ties, as well.  My father was career Navy and I was born in Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego. Haven't lived in CA since, but I was back many times to the Camp Pendleton area when my brother-in-law was stationed there in the early 2000's.  

I will post my training as soon as I figure out the log.  Is there a way to favorite this thread so I can find it easily (I won't admit to how long it took me to find it this time!!) ?

Thanks again,
Wendy