Dream Chaser's 'Set a Goal and Capture it!' Mentor Group - CLOSED (Page 2)

Dream (noun) - a strongly desired goal or purpose.
Chaser (noun) - one that chases.
If you chase something long enough, eventually you will catch it.

Greg, Welcome!!!  We are still Open for business.  Thank you for serving our country and defending our Freedom -  God Bless you. 

If you want to better your Wisconsin time, I would strongly suggest researching and finding a program that fits your needs and lifestyle.  It's taken me a few years to learn the lesson that following a plan is the best way to ensure Race Day success - and I am still learning this lesson.  Especially with an Ironman, since the training (especially during the Peak period) is so mammoth, that we are are too fatigued to think straight, or know what's best for us.  Last season my mantra was "train by listening to my body".  The problem with that is, by the time your body screams that something is wrong - it's already too late.  Please don't confuse this with 'listening to your body' as a general rule of thumb.  I'm speaking specifically of planning your daily training for an extended period of time to prepare for an event base on 'listening to your body'. 

Having trained for and completed an Ironman, and I see a few 70.3's, your input and suggestions to other members in the group will be very valuable.  Please feel free to offer motivation, suggestions and share your past experiences with others.   In fact, I strongly suggest you offer us all input!!  Thank you for joining the group.  Or should I say, Welcome aboard Soldier!! 

I am using Finks Be IronFit Intermediate plan.  I really like how you have set days every week for s/b/r.  I looked at the plan below this one, and it seemed like too little.  I looked at the Competitive plan and it seemed like it might be a bit too much for me, so I settled on the intermediate.  I wish you much success with the Competitve Plan!!

Rene, I am very passionate about running and have read a lot on the subject.  I've also seen quote a few people who use that exact shoe, and smilar shoes develop PF!!!  Asics is an excellent shoe.  Well over half the field at Kona runs in Asics.  I've been running in Asics since 2006.  I've run primarily in the Speedstar, DS trainer and 1130's.  All neutral shoes with VERY little technology.  If you get a chance, read the book "Born to Run".  Put simply, if you are running in a shoe that does not allow for your natural pronation, natural gait; if you are running in a shoe where you cannot feel the surface below, you are effectively running in a cast.  Hi-tech shoes do not allow the sole of your foot to strengthen.  The bottom of your foot has more bones than any other area of your body.  The shape of the bottom of your foot is an arch, which is one of the strongest structures in architecture.  Our feet are engineering feats, but they need to feel the ground and need impact in order to strengthen.  When wearing a shoe that alters our natual foot strike, a shoe that is too cushioned, we are defying the very nature of what makes our feet amazing and unique. 

Now I am not endorsing running in running flats!  I am recommending switching to an ultra-light trainer, something preferably between 9 and 11oz.  Since you have PF right now as well, you should SLOWLY introduce a new shoe.  All the rehab you are doing is tremendous.  But the single best piece of equipment that I have used to strengthen the plantar fascia is a thera-band bacl stability trainer   http://www.thera-band.com/store/products.php?ProductID=24   It also works all the size stabilizer muscles in your calves, quads, glutes and hips.  When we run, it's one leg at a time that lands and we momentarily balance on.  Just the same, you balance on one leg for 60 seconds a time.  You will feel amazing strain and burn in your plantar fascia, and stabilizer muscels.  The black one is completely hollow and the most advanced trainer.

Hey Bobby, If you have room I'd like to join as well.

Name: Sammeg/Ted

Story: 42 yo, Former fairly athletic youth involved in baseball, wresling and Soccer with the emphasis on soccer for about 12 years. Was also an ok swimmer as a kid, ended up being a lifeguard although you'd never know it now. Was in decent shape up until my kids were born when i was 33, got real sedentary and got up to 210lbs. Turning point was 2+ years ago when i was helping my kids ride their bikes and I felt like i was gonna drop dead after 100 yards. Started some running and biking and dropped down to 175 feeling much better. Did 3 sprints last summer but was not very consistent in the training.

Goal: Be much more consistent and drop 15lbs(with the focus on consistency). Race goal is the Suffolk county Half marathon at the end of March. Ran the 5k there last year and I'd like to increase the distance this time. Just started a 12 week plan.

2011 Races: Various sprints followed by HIM in Montauk in October(hopefully!).
.
 
Family: Happily married with twin 9 yo daughters.

Hope you still have room!

Bobby/DC, I'd love to join your group if you have one more. 

NAME: jmhpsu93/Mike

 STORY: Soon to be 42 year old, long-time runner.  About five years ago I noticed that I had started to gain a little weight over time, was up to about 225 which looked OK on me, but I could really feel the extra weight.  I signed up for a half marathon, which was more than double any race I had done before.  I trained and finished the Baltimore Half-Marathon in 2007 at 2:02, which only motivated me to go lower. 

I had saphneal vein surgery in Nov 2007, where I had the largest vein in my left leg removed because it wasn't working right and caused vericose veins and swelling in that leg (think Casey Martin, but not nearly as bad).  I used exercise as my main recovery tool, and noticed that if I went a couple of weeks without working out I would experience atrophy in that leg because of the reduced blood flow.

I dropped 8 minutes off my HM time for the 2008 race, down to 1:53:54.  Gained weight over the winter (I hate running outdoors in the cold), lost in again in the summer, finished the 2009 HM in about 1:54 again.  I had reached a plateau in my fitness that clearly wasn't working.

My wife has done several triathlons (the Danskin ones) and I've also admired the Ironman athletes over the years.  She is a great natural swimmer, me not so much.

I said the heck with it...I'm going to do a sprint triathlon.  I learned to swim (well...sort of, if you call a 2:10 pace swimming) and completed a sprint triathlon last August, with a PR on the 5K part of the run.  I noticed that the triathlon training was great for my running, too.  I PR'd a 10K in September, and almost broke 1:50 in the HM in October.  I also got my weight down to 202, which I haven't seen since college.

Hoping to improve this year as much as last year.

I'm a member of the Annapolis Triathlon Club, and like to squeeze in some golf here and there too.

FAMILY STATUS: Married with 8 year old daughter, who also completed a triathlon last year!

CURRENT TRAINING: Was doing a swim-intensive off-season plan before I got bronchitis in early December, followed by "Eating Season" and a death in the family.  Starting almost from scratch now.  Using a beginner Olympic plan from BT right now and I start the 26-week, 2 race Olympic plan mid-February.  I swim indoors at the Y, ride a hybrid bike when it's warm out or an Expresso bike at the Y when it's cold, and spitefully run outdoors in the cold. 

THIS YEAR'S RACES: Celebration Sprint (June), Diamond in the Rough (almost Olympic, July), North East Triathlon (Olympic, August), Baltimore Half Marathon (October)

GOALS:  Get swimming under 2:00 pace for Olympic distance, run sub-22 5K, Clydesdale podium a triathlon, run sub 1:48 HM...I think all of these goals are attainable and have similar paths, hence the multiple goals.  Oh, and I'd like to see 195# on the scale in October when I run the HM.

Good luck everyone!

Hi Mike.  Yeppers, spots are getting slim but we are still Open.  Welcome!!  Very thorough bio and clearly defined, very attainable goals.  Congrats to your daughter completing a triathlon at age 8.  That is phenomenal!! I'm sure a big part of her completing such a fantastic task at such a young age was due to the excellent example her parents are setting.   

One way to almost guarantee a running PR is weightloss.  The rule of thumb formula is you will get :02 seconds per mile faster each pound lost.  So say you run a race with a 9:30 pace.  Then you lose 10 lbs, maintain your fitness, and run that race again.  You are now likely to run a 9:10 pace using the same effort.  This formula from my experience is very true and pretty close to accurate.  I've used this formula as motivation to lose weight.  Also, just imagine putting on a 10 lb vest and running 2 miles.  Then, take that 10 lb vest off and run those same 2 miles.  How much easier would the latter half of that run feel?? 

As for running outside in the winter, yeah it sucks!  If you can stomach it, try and make the treadmill a routine. I know the treadmill is not as fun but there are many benefits to the treadmill:  it's a level, forgiving surface, you don't have to think about pace, you can really work on form, and it's only a temporary approx 3-month period. 

Oh, and 2:10 is certainly swimming.  I was looking at my logs at when I first started swimming back in late 2007, and there were times I was lucky to swim sub 3:00 per 100m, and making it from one side of a 25m pool to other side was a feat in and of itself. I gotta run.

I like that you have a plan in place and I like your race schedule.  I can't help but keeping thinking about that little Eagleman race around the corner from you.  I raced there a few years ago and hiccups in my nutrition ruined what could have been a great day for me.  I plan to return to Eagleman in 2012.  Perhaps that could be a lonnnng term goal for you.  Around the corner, nice flat venue....

Sammeg - 2011-01-08 9:17 AM

kimmax - 2011-01-07 10:17 PM

Dream Chaser - 2011-01-07 9:44 AM

NOTE TO GROUP:  Over the next few days and weeks, feel free to check out one another's blogs and inspire and encourage one another.  Derive strength from the group.  Feel free to offer your own experiences and suggestions to other group members.  All of my successes and accomplished goals in running and triathlon are as a direct result of following suggestion and applying them to my training. 

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!!!

Have a great weekend everyone!  Hoping to get a trainer ride in this weekend if child gives me some alone time
A number of the logs are blocked - not sure if I'm doing something wrong.  Hope everyone has a great weekend with some quality training included!

oops, forgot my logs weren't public. Just opened them up.
I'm planning on getting in a couple of runs, a trainer ride, some sleigh riding with the girls and of course the J-E-T-S tonight!

Happy weekend

I'm a Big Blue man myself, but I don't wanna see the Colts win.  So in that case:

Funny, you read my mind.  I thought about doing Eagleman this year, but didn't think I could commit to the training and it's awfully expensive.

I'm pretty sure my tri club does a tent there so I'll probably be volunteering there this year.

I'm definitely going to try for a HIM next year; heck maybe I'll do the Skipjack (almost HIM) at the Chesapeake Endurance Festival in September (same place as Eagleman) if the Olympics go well!

Hi Fred.  Your post is full of charisma as well.  Welcome   Seeing as you regularly train the bike, and have begun to love lap swimming, and recognize running as a the discipline you need to work on -- you are certainly on your way.  Your experiences from the trio of Sprint tri's will serve you nicely for your Summer Olympic and any longer races you choose to participate in.  Ironman Wisconsin is sold out this year, but IMOO 2012 is certainly an option.

A few suggestions to start, begin logging your workouts in the Beginner Triathlete Training Log.  This way other group members can inspire you and you can chart your trainings.  I've been logging on here since 2007 and found it an invaluable tool.  When things go wrong, or right, I can look back at certain blocks of training and individual weeks and see what went wrong and what went right.  By tracking my training history, I can try and prevent bad history from repeating itself; and duplicate things that work, and really see how I've progressed from year to year.  I can't tell you how helpful it's been for me.  

So it looks like your goals are to work on your Run and complete a summertime Olympic triathlon.  You have a plan that you intend to follow, which is awesome!!  A roadmap is what we all need to keep us from getting lost.  Have you picked a particluar race?  By picking a race, and registering for it you are truly committing to it.  Also, by picking a specific race you can try and simulate the race terrain in training.  Example: lake swim or ocean swim; hilly bike, flat bike; off-road run or flat smooth run.  

Welcome to the group Burning Rabbit.    

A few weeks back  I'm at the Nike store in Manhattan in the design center where they allow you to create your own shoe. I pick the sneak that I'm gonna design and the Nike dude asks me what kind of runner I am. Shrug my shoulders with a dopey look on my face and say, dunno.

I always just buy whatever NB sneaks that feel good and haven't had a problem. So here's my stupid question: What exactly does it mean to be a neutral runner etc, and how do you know what your natural pronation is? I'm gonna pick up "Born to Run" on Bobby's earlier suggestion but was wondering if someone had a nickel version.

btw, the Nike thing was just a perk that was thrown my way, don't acutally run in them. I'm happy with the NB, although I hear alot of people rave about Asics.