Team KiterChick - CLOSED (Page 2)

Hi Will, thanks for the advice. It makes sense to me. And I have to say that deep down I know this is the best approach. I will just have to win the battle against myself, since the other side of me will keep telling me that I need to workout longer

I'll let you guys know how it goes. In the meantime, I worked on speed in the pool this morning and it felt great!

Hi everyone! I have a potential issue brewing on my hands, but hopefully it isn't too bad. Basically, yesterday afternoon, my lower right back started hurting when I walk. It's not crippling, but it's pretty uncomfortable, so I can't imagine running in this condition would be a good idea. I let my coach know, so we'll see what he says. Hopefully it's just tweaked and will resolve itself soon...

One general note, before I address everyone individually, a lot of the newcomers have mentioned that they're complete beginners. That's fine! Feel free to ask as many questions as you need. You're here to learn things and ultimately be more comfortable when race day gets here, and we'll all help each other get there!

Roxanne - With the swim and 5K, it sounds like you have some athletic background. Don't sell yourself short!

Shannon - Do you do anything else besides triathlon that falls into your "adventure junkie" description? I ask, since I also kiteboard, but admittedly, I'm not very good at that.

Will - You wore short sleeves yesterday? I guess maybe at lunch it was warm enough. I'm looking forward to us getting back to the warmer weather again. I don't need 80s, but 70s would be nice!

Sebastian - I'm also a mess when it comes to jet lag, so I can't imagine getting in any real quality workouts for a trip of that distance for only a few days. I'd have to agree with Will, and say you should get in what you can. As you mentioned, I'm sure you knew we were all going to tell you this anyway! Good luck with getting through all the travel. You won't lose any significant fitness over a week, so there will still be time to dive back in once you get back.

Mitch - I'd second using the BT logging. It really is helpful in the context of the group too, since, as Will mentioned, others can view your logs. I also use Training Peaks as well, but it's only because my coach uses it to monitor my progress.

Kim - I'd say if you're getting in 10 hours/week, you're doing a good job of carving out time for yourself!

Amanda - Sounds like you've been busy over the past few months. Congratulations on the 5K and the recent weight loss. It will be fun to follow your continued progression over the coming months!

Eddie - I have a dream of trying out bike racing, but I worry that I'm an above average triathlon cyclist, but probably only an average at best cyclist! Sounds like Rev3 is coming up fast. Will be interesting to hear how your first HIM goes!

Whew! Sorry for the long message, but I wanted to address everyone. We'll probably close the group to members soon, since we're getting up there. Feel free to keep all the questions coming!

Hi Sebastian,

I travel a lot to Europe for work, and jetlag can be a major annoyance.  I don't always do it, but if I can force myself to workout, I find it makes the jetlag better because it helps me get tired enough to fall/stay asleep. I tend to do more strength training when I travel - I pack my bands and use them in the hotel room, since I can't always stay in a place with a decent gym. 

I'm in Chicago and we're having pretty good weather right now, so you might want to try a run down by the lake if you have time while you're here!

Sarah,

If you have room for one more, I would love to join back up.  Let me know and I will post my bio. 

Ken

Hi Sarah,

 I'd love to join if the group is still open!

Name: Missmona/Heather

Story: I'm 37 years old and just began exercising recently. I am a calligrapher. I am trying to loose 25 llbs. I am "training to train" for triathalons. I have epilepsy and have uncontrolled seizures. My instance of seizures are lessening as I loose weight. I train with my seizure dog or at a gym, so I am safe. (I rarely have convulsive seizures, mostly partials. I don't fall) I quit smoking 4 months ago (was 3 packs a day!) Due to these factors I am taking my training extra slow by not running for at least a month (hyperventilation can induce seizures). I've allways wanted to do this and now I can try since I stopped smoking!

Family Status: Engaged

Training status: I am walking/hiking (fast/uphill) 2-3 miles daily. 15 min on stationary bike, martial arts 4 hrs per week, Zumba 4 hrs/wk.

Prior athletic chops: Because I have had active seizures most of my life I cannot drive, so I bike. I do not own a bike at the moment but I am looking out for a great deal on an awesome road/triathalon bike. I was a competitive swimmer for 4 years, state level, in high school. I will need to do a lot of endurance traing to swim again but I still remember proper form. I have never run b/c I was afraid of hyperventilation. Now that I don't smoke I want to try.

I have no races planned yet

Weightloss: I am trying to loose the 25 pounds I've had for years. I'm fed up with diets! I'm trying to begin a sensable eating and exercise routine. I am eating MOSTLY whole foods. I am doing my best to eat protien & carbs w/low fats. I have lost 5 llbs so far!

NAME: kmatt318/Ken

STORY: Hello! I am a 44 year old inside sales rep for a large healthcare software compant in North Carolina.  I am basically a runner turned triathlete.  My goal is to run an ironman next year. So this year I have to get into open water. 

FAMILY STATUS: Married 12 years.  My children are all out of the house and my wife is retired and staying at home with our grandchild (Devon). We actually have another one on the way, due in April.  

CURRENT TRAINING: I am currently training for my sprint tri season with eyes on my first half distance in Oct.  Swimming is still a major issue but I have come a great distance over the past 3 months.  Looking forward to open water swims this spring, early summer.  

2012 RACES:  I am currently signed up for 4 sprints (3 pool swims, 1 open water), an Olympic and I have bitten the bullet and signed up for an Oct HIM.    

Adventure for me is scuba, white water rafting, kayaking, mountain biking and overnighter backpacking so far.  I'm pretty much up for anything new and fun outdoors.  BTW....I went out today at lunch and ran 2 miles without stopping once.  May add another mile Thursday or just work on speed.  I was rather slow (25 mins ).  I did find that I was landing on the side of my foot with each step.  Could this be my shoes or am I doing something crazy with my feet?  Anyone?

If there is room for one more, I'd love to jump in!

Name:  vettegirlhw/Heather

Story: I'm a 36 year old stay at home Mom to a 5 year old girl and an almost 3 year old boy in the northern burbs of Atlanta (Johns Creek), I work about 9 hours a week in Life Time Fitness' Kid's Activities Dept, but still mostly I'm a SAHM.  I had been an athlete in HS and into college (gymnast, cheerleader, a year of distance track in HS, running on the side early into adulthood)  Then, at around 25 I was diagnosed with a schmorl's node in my back and had some pain/nerve issues etc and was told to modify my lifestyle to manage symptoms so that is what I did.  I pretty much did nothing but walking for almost 10 years with a few flare ups, but much less frequently than before.  I felt I made it through 2 pregnancies and carrying around babies etc and had no flare ups during that time so I decided to go for it again and see what my body would do, this was last January (11)  So, I joined the gym and signed up for an Indoor Tri about 10 weeks later to keep me motivated to get to the gym.  I did it and caught the Tri bug!  So, I did two more pool swim/outdoor Sprint's last season.  Pre SAHM days, I worked in Mental Health Settings (hospitals, psych units, community mental health etc), my background is in Recreation Therapy.

Family Status:  Married with 2 kids

Current Training:  I hit the gym usually 3 days a week and do brick workouts (usually 2 sports each day) That is about the only way I can fit it in as I don't have any sans kid time during the week so I rely on child center for my training.  This is a big reason why I'm sticking to Sprints right now.  I'm trying to add a workout on the weekends to get out and ride/run in the real elements.

This year's races:  Lake Lanier 'My First Tri', Lake Lanier Islands/Buford GA - June 10 (this will be my first OWS).  PT Solutions Women's Sprint Tri in Ackworth GA - August 5th (all female event - fun!)  These are both new races for me.

Weight Loss:  Not something I'm working on, I actually sometimes struggle the other way in keeping my weight up.

Still taking members?  If so I would love to join.

Name: Katielimb/Katie

Story: I am a 33 year old junior high resource teacher, and am also working on my Masters degree.  I started running about 3 years ago as an attempt to lose weight.  I found that if I wanted to stick with it, I neeeded to have a goal, so I signed up for a half marathon, found a training program online, followed it and fell in love!  I completed that half marathon, went on to do a full, and then several more races after that.  This year my goal was to continue running, but also try some triathlons as a close friend of mine just completed her first IM, and I followed her training and was totally intrigued!  I am currently signed up three this year, and can't wait!

Family Status: I am married to an incredibly supportive husband who is my biggest fan and cheerleader.  We have adopted two awesome kids, who are six and eight. 

Current Training:  I put in about 6-8 hours a week.  I try to do 2 days of each sport and a few days of strength training each week. 

Planned 2012 Races: Salt Lake City Half Marathon, Women of Steel Sprint Tri, Daybreak Spring Tri, Star Valley Half Marathon, Bear Lake Brawl Olympic Tri, and St. George Marathon.  I will probably throw in some local 5k's as well.

Weightloss: I need to lose another 10-12 pounds.  I seem to have hit a plateau and it is really annoying!

I'll call this post, confessions of a poor swimmer: Got a good swim in yesterday- 2600 yds with some harder intervals thrown in there.  As I finally start swimming a little more, I am finding that consistency is my biggest issue:  if I swim once per week, then my form is horrible, and I have to really concentrate on it; if I swim two to three times a week it gets better and a little easier.  With two swims in this week, I am hope Sunday will be an easier swim.

I think the same principal applies in my swim sets too- looking back at my harder efforts yesterday, I kept seeing instances where I would swim a 100 in the 1:50/1:55 range, then turn around and swim the next 100 in 2:10- usually a case of my mind drifting off, or just forgetting what I was doing.

What's the trick for keeping your mind on what you are doing in the pool?

Good morning everyone! I've been up since 5:30 and have already gotten my swim workout in for the day, so the day is off to a great start. Also good, is that my back pain seems to be subsiding, so hopefully it will be gone by next week, and I can get back to running as usual. In the meantime, I'll be hitting the bike for several hours this weekend. If only the forecast were calling for warmer weather. *Sigh*

Heather (Missmona), Heather (vettegirlhw) and Katie are all welcome to join, but I've now closed the group to new members since we have 12, along with the regulars from the previous session that returned. If it's okay, I think I'll refer to the Heathers as Heather M and Heater V, using your username initials to distinguish between the two.

Heather M - Congratulations on quitting smoking, that had to be difficult if you were up to three packs a day! Hopefully that change will help you ultimately transition into running. I'm sure swimming will come back quickly if you already have proper form. I know a number of us, myself included, are struggling with this aspect, so you're ahead of the game there!

Shannon - Sounds like you definitely have a lot to keep you busy. Congratulations on running 2M straight! As for your feet, it's difficult to know whether it's an issue with your shoes or your form itself without being able to see you run. Have you been fit for your shoes? If not, you should try to find a local running store that will do this. Improperly fit shoes can lead to injury over time, especially if they're the reason your form is off.

Beth - That's great your son is so active. I'm sure you're a great influence for him in that department!

Heather V - There's nothing wrong with doubling up workouts, especially if you're otherwise crunched for time. Good luck finding some time to move outside soon, it's so much more fun!

Katie - Your background sounds similar to mine, with the run to tri transition. It must be nice to train and race out in UT, I'm jealous! I haven't been there in the summer, but I've been out to ski a couple of times and it was beautiful.

Will - First, that's so great you can occasionally break two minutes in the pool! The best I can do is around two minutes even, and that's for 100 yard intervals. My pace doesn't drift much when I'm doing longer intervals though. I just focus on different aspects of my form to keep myself focused. There's so many options: Am I not crossing the centerline? Am I not leading with my elbow? Am I reaching enough? Am I tilting, rather than craning my neck to breathe?

Will - I'm the same way with swimming. I can't concentrate and get bored, totally ignoring form and even forgetting how far I've gone. A friend recommended that I think of songs with numbers in them as I do my laps and sing them to myself at my stroke speed and go up a number on each turnaround. It forces me to think about the count and my stroke form because I'm going at a certain pace. It works for him, sort of works for me, and might be worth a try. I also try to picture myself swimming in only open water, even though I'm in a pool. I "spot", switch strokes a few times, and close my eyes and swim. That helps me sometimes more than the singing.

I'm nervous about open water swimming as I figured out yesterday during my swim that I'm totally using the wall turnaround indoors as a crutch - taking extra breaths, hanging out for a few seconds. I tried not going quite to the wall and just turning around in the water, but if anyone has any other recommendations for "not cheating" at the wall I'd like to hear them. My first tri has a 750m swim, which completely intimidates me right now, and is 6/3 - it's still chilly here then, so I'm thinking I'm probably going to need to invest in a wetsuit. I'll need it in May anyway when I can start open water training.

I hear ya on the swim, I get lost in my head and forget how far I've gone, and I don't even swim that much distance yet where it should be that hard!  It is pretty much the only quiet time I get to myself with 2 crazy kids, dogs, cats and life so my head just stirs all sorts of things around in it while I swim and I constantly forget my laps.  I got a HR monitor watch as a gift that can be used as a lap counter but didn't really love it as having to be so precise when swimming to hit the right button on my wrist wasn't happening (or I'd just forget to press it), I may try one of the ring/finger type of lap counters, seems easier to use than the watch.  

I am starting to try to swim with my eyes closed and work on learning to sight as I make the transition from pool Tri to OWS this season.  I'm hoping to get in on some OWS sessions with a local multisport club in the area who apparently does them, so we'll see.  I'd like to get out a time or two before my first attempt, though I picked this one b/c it is a shoreline swim, so perfect for a first OWS.  

On an entirely different note, in terms of the tune ups that most LBS's do if you purchase a bike with them, how often do you find yourself going to do these?  I am upgrading from my silly beach comber that I used last season to a performance hybrid (I'd rather go into Shimano 105's level road bike, but that isn't in the budget and used isn't happening, I've been watching for months and months)  I am debating between 2 bikes, one I think I may like better, just my gut, no real other reason, but that LBS is about 25-30 min from my house in a direction I never go.  The other bike that is comparable and would work fine is about 10 minutes from my house, but I somehow just feel my gut telling me to get the bike farther away (if only they'd carry the same brands!!!)  So, I am just trying to figure out how often I may be making the 30 min drive with 2 kids in tow etc etc vs a much more simple process of a 10 minute drive.   If it is pretty infrequent, I'll be more likely to consider the further LBS.  Also if anyone happens to have any feedback between the Specialized Vita WSD (basic model) or the Trek 7.2 WSD FX, I'd love to hear it!Thanks!   

as far as swimming and keeping up w/laps, what I used to do is know my average time for said stroke/lap count/intensity swimming. Most pools have a big, big, clock. Ask the lifeguard to use it if its not already out. Try to swim where you can see the clock. Somone said their average was 1:50 ish/100m. You have to look each lap to keep up, because the clock keeps going around and around, so you won't know if it been 2:15 or 1:15. Also I would sing the fastest song I knew in my head. Swimming is an aggressive race, be as aggressive as you can when swimming for time. You can drift off in warm up and cool down but not when you are making your time.

If you are just working on form, I would say to myself (doing freestyle), cut shoulder, into waist, push hip. This is just the system I developed myself. My favorite (and most awesome) coach said your stroke should look like a keyhole and your hand should go into waterthumb and forefinger first, "cutting into it", at about shoulder width. Pull yourself forward by going out and into waist. Then brush hip with thumb as hand comes out of water.

There is also a bobbing motion I do with my torso but I couldn't begin to explain that. You will probably develop it.

Kick should just disturb top of water and be straight up and down, like scissors. No side to side. Knees only slightly bent. This is important especially when in open water!

If you can videotape yourself swimming it will be the most helpful thing you could do.

Also watch olympic swimmers and compare. Remember some of them arent perfect and have adapted their imperfect stroke and succeded anyway. Janet Evans shouldn't have won tons of gold medals but she did. Her stroke isn't textbook but she made it work and you can too.

as far as turns, kick flips will be a crutch because you could get 15 feet of fast glide off them. I think turning and pushing off the wall would be too. If you are just working on form kick flips or wall turns are probably good because you get to kick for that 15 feet! Someone said they are turning in midwater before the wall, thats brilliant. the work it takes to stop and turn and go again against your own wake will build a lot of strength and is probably the only way to go indoors

Sorry for the book! Hope this helps! I'm sorry if I sounded like a know it all, thats about all I know!

Let's hope you are right, I would feel better if I had one more week before my race after coming back.

The workout helping with the sleep makes sense to me. I hope I feel good enough to do this. Regarding Chicago, I usually stay by the lake on Michigan Ave. but this time I am staying in Oakbrook, so no dice. I could run there of course, but I think I am going to swim in the hotel on Monday night. I was going to try to do a tempo run on Tuesday morning, but that may be risky just before a 13 hour flight.

I focus on technique and in many instances I count my strokes.

Regarding the topic of flip-turns which many have commented on, here is my take. I always do flip-turns, since I used to be a competitive swimmer and would feel really weird doing anything else. Anyway, I don't agree with the fact that they make swimming easier. It sure is faster, but pushing off the wall requires quite a bit of energy, so it's almost like doing squats while you swim if you are pushing off as you should. I have found that when I swim in open water, and there are no turns, I get less tired for the same pace, and I am pretty sure this has to do with the energy spent on turning in the pool. Also, sometimes I get cramps from this, while it never happens in open water.

Just my $0.02

Sebastian 

Will- I used to have the same problem with keeping up with the laps. When I would get to lap 40 or so I'd always loose track. I often left the pool so frustrated because I had to guess on my total distance and time instead of actually knowing. I found a waterproof lap counter on Amazon, think it was around $24. All it does is count laps, it fits on my finger and push the only button with my thumb. This freed my mind to count my strokes, focus on form, or let my mind wander and think about my day. I'm am glad that I'm not the only one who has the "Wandering Mind Syndrom" when swimming.

Heather V- Will the closer LBS service a bike that was not purchased at their shop? It would not hurt to ask if you have not already done so. We have two LBS here; one that I cannot stand and one that I love. Now the one that I love only sells supper high end bikes but he will repair or work with any bike that is brought in. His thought is that any bike that rolls through his door is a profit. As far as the actual bike goes I personally would go with what your gut is telling you. After all you can expect to log hundreds if not thousands of miles on it training then race on it as well. You want to be not only comfortable on your bike but also get your money's worth for it. Have you looked at Bikes Direct? they sell a wide range of bikes for half off or a little less, and with free shipping it can't be beat. I got my Motobecane Nemsis Pro from them and it was hassle free. Just a thought.......

Sarah- It sounds like your injury/ muscle soreness is letting up. Lets all hope that it just needed some time to rest and its nothing to serious.

Now on to my training for the day which also leads to me to my swim question for the group. I did a total of 1665 meters today as swim drills. It called for 4x75 warm up, 3x400 of 1 RPE of 3, 2 RPE of 4, and 3 RPE of 5. Followed by a 150 cool down of any stroke that I wanted.

So I was plugging away and did my first set with no problems, did the second set slightly winded, and hand to fight my way through my third set. I was wondering as I was taking a breather how I can find out what my different levles of RPE really are. For instance I think I got the Level 3 down but when I started doing my Level 4 was going harder, but how much faster should I go? For instance what I was calling my Level 4, was that really a level 6? Is that why when I did my Level 5 I was so tired? Was I really going at a Level 8? Having never had any formal swim training (I've learned though the Total Immersion books) I really have never had anyone really look at my stroke or swim paces.

Hope I made sence here.

Completely spaced out this weekend and forgot that it was Easter- I got up on Sunday morning to get my early swim in and thankfully noticed the Easter basket we had left out for our daughter- I would not have wanted to missed her excitement.

I did get a 90 minute trainer ride in on Saturday night (a big thank you to Netflix and Hot Tub Time Machine for getting me through to the end) and a 5.5 mi run in on Sunday.  Now if I can just shake off the effects of the all the food and wine from last night...

Hi everyone! Yet another busy weekend. In between time spent going out with friends, I got in a total of three hours on the bike, one on the trainer Saturday and two outside on Sunday. I'm scheduled to meet with my coach for the first time in person tonight, and my back seems to be feeling fine, so hopefully all goes well there.

Holly - I'm not sure that I've ever heard any mention of skipping the wall entirely at the pool to remove its use as a crutch, but if you feel it boosts your confidence, then feel free to continue. You could also just work on trying to keep a steady pace for set distance intervals, and not allowing yourself to take those little breaks until you're in between intervals. I don't know how to do flip turns, and personally, don't really feel inclined to learn them at this time. I do take in a large breath when I turn at the wall too, but I don't feel that doing so has led to any issues once I've moved to open water.

Heather V - If you can, I'd try to find time to travel to both shops to try out the bikes you're interested in, and perhaps any others you may find in your price range while you're there. I was convinced I was going to get a Trek Madone for my first, but a friend of mine insisted we travel around and try out several bikes before I chose. I actually ended up with a Specialized Tarmac that I love, and also found other bikes that I hated along the way as well. If you do ultimately choose one at the further away shop, you'll then have to find out what is included with the purchase. At that point, you'll have to decide what is worth driving out of the way for. Ultimately, you can generally have your bike serviced at any shop, so you can have most of your maintenance taken care of at the closer shop. Getting fit for your bike can be expensive, however, so you may want to get that done at the site of purchase if it's included.

Heather M - Don't worry about writing long replies. If you have helpful information to share, it's beneficial to everyone!

Beth - I wish I could help you regarding RPE in the pool, but I'm having the same issue. I feel like unless I'm going all out, which I can only do for 100 yards or so, that I only have one other speed. I have workouts that include 3x300 (easy/steady/moderate) and they generally always end up at about the same pace. The best I can do is empathize with you for now!

Mitch - If you're comfortable with your hybrid, and would prefer to stick to it for now, that's fine. At sprints, there's people there on every type of bike imaginable. Personally, if you already own a bike, I don't support buying a road or tri bike that is at the lower level of your budget. Of course everyone is going to have a different budget, but say you could afford a $2000 bike, but purchase a $500-1000 bike to see how you like it. Within a year, you're likely to either enjoy biking enough that you'll want a better bike, then you're out $2000 for the new bike, plus the money you spent on the other, or you're going to decide you're not really into biking, and then you're out the $500-1000 you spent on a bike you're not interested in. Seems like a lose/lose situation to me.

Eddie - While I don't generally give it much thought at the sprint and Olympic level, HIM is when nutrition does start to play a more important role. My first race, I planned to eat Clif bars during transitions. I generally brought them along for training rides, and thought it would be fine, but come race day, when I was feeling rushed, they were so dry I could barely choke any down. I've since switched to Clif shot bloks, since they're easier for me to chew in that context. Of course everyone is going to be different. If you're unsure, just try out a few options during training and bring several to the race, so you won't be stuck with one you can't stomach. Be sure to hydrate on the bike as well!

Will - Glad you weren't in the pool when your daughter woke up to find what the Easter bunny brought her. Sounds like you got in a run at least, so you found a good balance of training and family time.