jsnowash's Spring-into-action 2011 mentor group -- Full Up & Ready to go! (Page 2)

Shelly,

Can you give me a little bit of an idea of how you are training now, and how much swim/bike/run training you've been doing over the past year or so? From your first post, it sounds like you have a pretty solid running background. Have you kept your running up?

Also, how long are the races you're targeting this season, and do you have any specific goals for those races? A little more background will help us point you in the right direction...

Okay, I'm scared of even posting this because I'm worried that I'm aiming too high.  I am 28 years old and a mom of an awesome 8 1/2 year old boy and 3 lovely dogs and one obese cat.

Around Christmas time, I got this wild idea that I wanted to train for the Hy-Vee Triathlon.  A few years ago I was up to running 5-6 miles per day, got a stress fracture and gave up the ghost.  I am back to running 2-3 miles per day, 4-5 days per week.  I am trying to convince myself that this is something that is accomplish-able.  I am worried about the swimming portion.  I went to the pool and almost died after 250 yards. 

I am hoping to find some good advice and camaraderie in this group.   Help!!

Welcome! Glad to have you! For what it's worth, I definitely think you can reach your goal. It sounds like you're off to a great start!

A lot of people worry about swimming when they start out. If you don't have much of a swimming background, the idea of swimming almost a mile can be pretty intimidating. I can share my experience with you.... When I started out in triathlon, the first time I got in the pool I could barely manage swimming 50 yards without needing to rest. It DOES get easier with time and practice. What worked well for me in terms of building up my swim endurance was alternating one length freestyle/one length breast stroke. When I could do that for a few hundred yards, then I went to two lengths freestyle/1 length breast stroke, etc., until I could maintain freestyle for the entire workout. This site might be helpful too. It outlines a program you can follow to go from "zero to 1650" yards in 6 weeks. Since you have lots of time until Hy-Vee, don't feel like you need to follow this plan exactly. If you get to the middle of the plan and you're finding it challenging, then repeat a week or two to help build up your swim endurance.

Good luck, and welcome aboard!!

Terisa,
You would be surprised how much you improve with swimming when you really start training for it. Your not aiming high at all. Some of the people in my athletic club are in their 70"s and they kick butt at tri's it amazing.  Good Luck Shelly

@ Shelly - I don't think you can go wrong with any of the sprint training plans available here on BT. Click on the "Programs" link at the top of the page, and look through the available programs. You are probably already running more than is called for in the early weeks of some of these plans. No need to back off on your running to meet what the plan lays out. Just subsitute the runs you're doing now for run days in the plan. I often use these kind of plans as sort of a general guideline, and modify to meet my needs. Things to consider in choosing your plan include how much time you have available to train, how quickly you recover, and whether you want a plan that is more focused on one of the three tri legs than the other two. Typically if you choose a "focused" training plan, you would focus on what you see as your limiter.

@ Terisa - Swim coaching certainly can't hurt. It sounds like you have at least some swimming background (you actually sound pretty similar to where I came from - I was a lifeguard and summer-camp swim instructor - ummm, many years ago, but hadn't really done any swimming other than splashing in the pool with the kids for a long, long time....). I'm guessing you could get by without lessons, but swimming more than anything in triathlon is impacted a lot by your technique - and a coach can certainly help with that. An alternative to the clinic you mentioned might be to seek out a swim coach and line up a couple of private coaching sessions. Chances are the swimming will come back to you pretty quickly after you spend a little more time in the pool. (I've never personally hired a swim coach - mostly because I'm a cheap-skate!)

Terisa, I was in a similar situation, where as the only 1 event of the 3 I did was biking. I started off on my own trying to get the basics down for the swim (just to survive it) and I figured, "how hard can running be?". Well it worked out okay, I'm still alive and I did 2 sprints my first year (age 39) and 14 sprints my second year - yes I'm hooked. I learned now, that once you get the basics down, you have to go back and relearn the "correct way" to swim, bike, and run - to focus on one thing at a time. My point to all this is, try to learn as much as you can "correctly" the first time, so a coach, if available may be worth it. The other thing to try right away is to go for a 10 mile bike ride, then try switching (in 3 minutes or so) to arun (even if its 2k). I was totally shocked how difficult it is to get your legs to change operations. It gets better quickly, but does require getting used to it, understanding what your heart rate is doing at the end of the bike, and just easing into the run. The best part abouth triathlon is the "depth" to the interaction of the 3 events and how little adjustments make a big difference in your comfort, speed, endurance, and recovery. I wish you the best, and if I can help, I'll offer what I can from my own limited experiences. This site is a huge resource.

Edited by cobratodd 2011-01-19 9:06 PM

Holy Cow, Todd! 14 sprints in one season?!? You must have been racing almost every weekend! You're a machine!!

well it was 5 USAT sprints, and 9 off-road sprints which were much easier.  Only a 5 mile mountain bike ride.

Hi Jenny,
Can I join your group?

Story: I'm 45 and I teach history at a college in Minnesota and am a yoga instructor. I live with my partner, kids are grown, and we are both very active; he was a former marathoner who doesn't race anymore but we ride bikes and go to the gym together--so we exercise together most days.  As a kid I was active in gymnastics and some swimming but in my 20s-30s (college and grad school), I did very little physical activity and I was a smoker for 12 years. (It's been over 15 years since I've quit!) My fitness has increased over the years and I went to spin classes regularly in addition to doing a lot of yoga. A few years ago I got a road bike and have been a bike nut ever since. When the weather finally improves in MN, I will be out nearly every day for at least a 20 mile ride. Last year, I decided to broaden my repertoire and started running and swimming for the first time since I was 15. Friends convinced me to train for a triathlon and I thought, why not?  And I loved it!  Especially love training with friends. I have been keeping a pretty good training log on BT for the past year.

Current training: Base building now. Cycling is my strength--I do spinning classes in the winter (about 2xs a week) since it is dangerously cold and snowy here. I have to run and swim indoors as well.  I'm not a fast swimmer but I have good form which I have worked on--old shoulder injury reminds me of its necessity. I'm in a master swim class once a week, twice if I can manage it. I love open water swimming in a lake with my tri buddies once the ice melts.  Running is my weakness. This fall, it was about all I could do since I was away from home, so I'm at least doing it.  I try to run about 2-3 times a week and am trying to build a better aerobic base which I did not do last year.  This year, my focus is running and I'm psyched to do a half marathon and I am working toward the goal of sub 2 hours. I want to run a 1/2 marathon this year, so I need the base. I also want to do a bunch of sprint triathlons because it is so much fun.

2010 races:My first triathlon, first duathlon, and first running races--ever.
St. Cloud Earthday Half Marathon relay
Apple Duathlon
Granite Man sprint triathlon
Paynesville Sprint triathlon
Granite City Days 5K
10 km du pays de Grasse
Cross des Iles (8.2 K trail run)

2011 Races
I love to race, so I want to do a bunch. So far this is what i'm thinking of,
April: Earthday half Marathon (not relay this time)
May: Apple Duathlon
June: Buffalo Sprint tri, Lake Waconia Tri
July: Heart of the Lakes, maybe another
August: Born to Tri, Lakes County Tri

Weight: I've never been particularly overweight--more out of shape or low fitness (smoking years). Now I'm fit and slim, so basically I want to stay healthy and build muscle especially.

I'm really excited about this group. I love to read and research stuff about training but there is so much info out there and not all of it agrees so I'm hoping that I'll get some good advice about what works. Also looking for help with my running and how to achieve my goals while remaining injury-free!  Although I do yoga and teach it, running makes me tighter than I have ever been.  I also need help setting reasonable and challenging goals. I think I am often too conservative (even in races) because I am worried about getting injured. I had a rotator cuff tear (a few years ago, didn't have surgery and let it heal down but still achy sometimes), have had patellar tendonitis (not running related), and what I suppose are the more general aches and pains of getting older. 

That's about it. Looking forward to sharing experiences with the group!
--Beth

Hi Beth,
We've got some things in common: I'm Beth too and a former prof (French) and a was a smoker ten yrs ago, and I'm also aiming to break 2hours in a half marathon this year. Cycling is my weakest, unlike you, and swimming my strongest, so look forward to cycling pointers.
Welcome to the group,
Beth D. 

Jenny, I'm a little of both actually, but mostly just physically uncomfortable when I'm on the bike. I've changed my seat and been fitted 3 times at my local bike shop. I felt better after the first fit, then got tri bars and have had to be refit 2 more times. When I lean over I press on a nerve and my right foot goes to sleep; this is when I'm on my bike, or on the spin, upright or recumbent bikes at the gym. Doesn't seem to matter which bike. Also I have some vein issues, let's leave it at that! So I'm not sure these are things I can do much about.

As far as nerves go, I do feel unsafe when cars buzz our group of cyclists. I haven't ridden outdoors since last Sept when a good friend was hit by a car along w/2 other people during a large group ride (on the roads we always ride). She survived but has had surgery; another guy wasn't so lucky. I'm going to get back out there when the weather warms up, but still...any advice ya'll have for nerves would be great. In the meantime I'm doing a spin class each week and riding on my trainer another day of the week.

The swimming: It WILL get better. I remember when I first got back into swimming, 500 yards seemed like an eternity, now it's a warm-up! And if it is any consolation, I have found the quickest progress & gains with the swimming vs. the other 2 sports. And this includes a swimming background.

Thanks, Beth! Happy to help with cycling. Swimming is my weakest but since I've been doing it, I really enjoy it. That should help, huh!

I had the same difficulty when I started swimming last year. It definitely gets better with practice. Is there a master swim class near you? I go to one at my gym and it helps enormously. Also check community ed or aquatic schools, maybe a local university? You get coaching plus the support of other swimmers.

Hi Jenny - My name is Chris and I would like to join your group. My background in endurance sports is running and have a fairly large base at this time. I have signed up for my first Tri on June 4th called the Mach Tenn Tennessee in Tullahoma, TN. The distance is .6 swim/16mile bike/4 mile run. I'm going to do a "practice" tri the week before at a local community center (GJCC Triathalon), and it is a 200m pool swim/8.5 mile bike/2 mile run.

I usually finish in the top 5/10 in my age group (I'm 43) in 5/10K's and want to train to be as competative as I possibly can, not just finish.

I have no street bike and about fainted doing 200m at the Y pool yesterday. I'm going to take a beginner training class offered by Fleet Feet, with that goal race being my "warm-up" race. Thanks for all the advice so far. I usually keep my logs on RunningAhead, but will try and get some entered here. I haven't really been training very much since my last marathon effort back in late November.

Thanks again..Chris

Absolutely! Glad to have you!



You're so right about conflicting information out there! One of the main reasons for this, I think, is that not everyone responds the same way to the same kind of training. It may take some experimentation for you to figure out what works best for you. Basically, the way to improve in any of the 3 tri sports is to increase your "training load" in that sport. There are three ways you can increase training load: By increasing the duration, frequency, or intensity of training (or some combination of those). IMO, with running, building a solid base is even more important than with swimming and biking. What I mean by that is I think most people can handle higher intensity training in the pool or on the bike without risking injury on a smaller base than with running. I've focused on my running quite a bit over the past two seasons. My main focus has been increasing my total running volume. I went from running 2-3 times per week for a total of maybe 12 - 15 miles per week (maybe occasionally reaching 20 - 25 miles per week when peaking for races, and up to about 40 miles per week for my first marathon), to running 4 - 6 times per week, and now I'm rarely below 20 miles per week (and ran several 50+ week miles before my second marathon last fall). So, I have focused on increasing my training load for running by increasing my duration and frequency. For me, that has worked very well. My "easy pace" on a flat course is probably somewhere near 45 sec to 1 min per mile faster than it was when I was running less, and my race paces are faster across the board. I have found that (for me), higher intensity running leads to injury more than running lots of slow easy miles, so I tend to keep that to a minimum. I also tend to believe that running lots of slow easy miles helps your muscles, joints, etc. adapt to the demands of running so they can handle higher intensity running better when that is incorporated into training. There's a quote you will see fairly often if you look at threads asking for help with running -- it goes like this: "Run lots, mostly easy, some hard". I think for most people, that approach works pretty well!



I hear ya! I struggle with that one too... I sometimes find myself holding myself back in races because I don't want to "run out of steam" before the end of the race or get injured. Then I get to the finish line and know I could have pushed harder. I'm getting better about that, but I can definitely sympathize!!

Welcome Chris! Glad to have you!

Question on your bike: you say you don't have a road bike (which is fine, especially for your first!) -- what kind of bike will you be doing your tri on?

ugh, Beth.... I'm SO sorry to hear about your friend.... It can definitely be scary out there.... And knowing something like that happened to someone close to you makes it even more intimidating. I try to ride in groups whenever I can, and usually ride on lightly traveled roads as much as possible. That helps. I'm pretty comfortable riding on the road - if anything, I'm probably less fearful than I should be!

re: Your foot numbness.... numb feet on the bike is actually fairly common, and there are a number of things you can look at. First question - what kind of shoes are you using (cycling shoes or sneakers), if cycling shoes, are you using clipless pedals with cleats? The fact that you're having the same issue on a variety of bikes makes me think it might not be a fit issue, exactly. Maybe we can narrow down what the problem is and try to find a solution to make you more comfortable.

How's everybody doing today? I ended up taking the day off - just feeling a little tired, and I'm still not in full training mode yet.... I'll spin tomorrow (and maybe swim afterward), and run on Sunday. I'll be leading a beginner 5K running clinic starting this Sunday. I help organize a 5K in Philly in March to raise money to fight colon cancer (lost my mom & my brother to colon cancer - so it's a cause near & dear to my heart). I ran this clinic last year, and will get a group of new runners ready to run our 5K at the end of March.

What's everybody else have on tap for the weekend?

Thanks for that advice. I have not been running very frequently this winter--trying to get it done in a couple of runs. But it sounds like more frequent runs at easy pace (with less per-run  mileage but more weekly mileage??) would help me build a stronger base and even improve my time. I guess that means I will adjust my training schedule some and hit the treadmill today for a few miles before my swim. Saturday is my long run (now at 7 miles) in the am. Sunday evening is spin class and body pump, which I just started doing. I did not do any weights last year.  Any opinions about the usefulness of weight training for triathletes?

So sorry to hear that you lost your mother and brother to colon cancer--an awful disease. It must feel good to train new runners and then see them run for the cause and for their own health too.

Hi Jenny--I would like to join your group too.  I am using the Couch to Sprint plan.  The race I am training for is Sunday June 5. I am 54 earth years.   3 decades ago I raced bikes and was a life guard.  I ran the Bayshore and Detroit marathons one decade ago.  After that not much--some running.  I am about 20-30 lbs overweight...I am a vegan and like the raw food route, but like to eat chips, chocolate, popcorn, etc....