Eli's Tri-ing to get ready for an IM (and a sprint, and an olympic, and some running) (Page 2)

Hi Eli,

My name is Denise and I'm new to BT as I am taking on my first IM this year...IMFL. I took up endurance events after I ran my first half marathon in Dec 2007. I ran my first marathon in 2008 and followed that up with a 50 miler. From there, I went on to run races of varying distances, qualifed for Boston twice, completed 3 marathons in 8 weeks, and just completed my 10th marathon in December. I've always wanted to be an Ironman but never thought I could call myself a triathlete. But during the summer of 2010, my Achilles had enough and I went into a boot 2 weeks before my 75 miler. I quickly found myself in the pool as that's all I was allowd to do. Although I was devasted, it was the push I need to make the transition. Last summer I decided I would enter the world of triathlons and I completed a sprint, Olympic and Half IM distance. The summer wasn't so much about racing as it was to learn about the sport. After finishing the 70.3, I knew there was only one place to go from there. So here I am, 6 months away from IMFL.

I have a swim coach and a tri coach so thankfully my scheduling is done for me. The one thing that caught my attention in your bio is that you actually like to research a topic. I admit, I'm the complete opposite. I usually end up reading too much and getting myself so confused that I walk away frustrated. Anyway who likes that is a good fit for me!!

This summer, in preparation for FL, I'm racing and Oly and HIM distance. My log isn't very up to date as I'm just getting started on this site. I'm also really interested in hearing about race day nutrition.

Since I'm new to BT, I'm not exactly sure how this works. If I'm accepted into your group, will I be notified or am I already in since the group is still listed as "open"?

Have a great day!!

oh, and I'm not sure if there was as format I should have followed.

I'm 35, from Philadelphia PA, work full time for a pharmaceutical company and part time as an ACE certified personal trainer. I'm married with no children, unless you count my 2 cats.

If there are any other specifics you need to know, let me know. As you can see, I'm also chatty.

Count yourself a member of the group!

I will PM you, but the only real notification is this message!

Welcome to the group. I know a bunch of people who are training for IM FL, an I may even go to spectate, if things work out.

OK, so day 1 of trying to eat better went well.

Not too much snacking, and where I did, it was mostly healthy.

Also got in a decent gym workout. Note to friends, even if you are feeling better 3 days after your HIM, you may not be ready for Squats. Oops. 

I managed 2 sets and even lightened the weight for the third set, but WOW, that hurt. You know you are in trouble when it hurts WHILE you are doing it. Like I pulled all the muscles in my leg at once.

I ran 3 miles on the treadmill and then used a "stick" to roll out the muscles, and that seemed to help.

Woke up today and ran 8 miles with my wife, who is training for an ultra. Legs were still sore, so I wore my compression tights. It might be mental, but that seemed to help some.

Of course, I can't lean over or bend down that well now, but I think tomorrow is just swimming since I will be out of town.

How is everyone else doing?

Any plans for the weekend?

AJ,

Sorry I didn't respond before. Welcome aboard!!! 
So are you in PA as well? Which tri are you thinking about. It sounds like you have a good plan to ease into the tri life, which is good. just be careful once you do your first...then it seems like the sky is the limit.

Feel free to bring up any questions. As I said, I like to research a problem! 

Whew,

OK, second day of eating better didn't go...quite as well...probably due to the 2 beers and the huge hamburger I had for dinner.

Plus, I am getting on a flight, and I rarely manage to go through an airport without eating some crap.

Well, tomorrow is another chance to do better.

Hey Eli - room for one more?

NAME: itsallrelative_Maine/Jennifer

STORY: I'm 45 years old, third/fourth year of triathlon - I lost last year due to a foot/ankle injury. I just did a half marathon a couple of weeks ago with a good friend I had talked into running before the ankle injury. I've got a HIM the middle of June. Depending on how that goes - another in September with various small, local sprints/olys.

FAMILY STATUS: Married for 19 years.  Two girls (age 9 and 11) and a fabulous yellow lab that goes on all my training runs (when I can run outside)

CURRENT TRAINING: I am very tentative with my foot - I don't want to loose another season...so I should be focusing on biking and swimming...but - I hate swimming indoors and it's still a touch too cold to swim in the lakes/ponds so the motivation to get in the pool is small. It is also spring in New England which is truly one of the nicest times to run outside, so I'm pushing it a bit...at this point, I just want to get to the starting line on June 16.

LAST YEAR'S RACES: I did three half marathons by Memorial Day and then the injury hit. I pulled out of the rest of the scheduled races (a sprint and a HIM), but convinced myself I could do an oly on little training. That hurt!

2012 RACES:  Great Bay Half Marathon (done!), 100 miles to nowhere (bike) - should be around June 2, Maine Women's 50-miler (bike) June 3, Patriot HIM June 16, Hope Tri (sprint) July 7, Lobster Ride and Roll (bike) July 21, Maine Sport Oly Labor Day weekend and possibly Rev3 Old Orchard Beach HIM September.

WEIGHTLOSS: I tried Paleo for the first three months of the year, but really struggled with getting enough carbs to fuel longer efforts...so now I'm on a modified Paleo - allowing one serving of complex carbs per day before the longer efforts. I slip off when I travel for work (it is almost IMPOSSIBLE for me to eat healthy when I'm traveling)

WHAT AM I LOOKING FOR OR GOALS:  Don't get hurt, don't get hurt, don't get hurt.

Hey Jennifer! Good to "see" you.

Wow, sorry about the foot. I know how tough it can be to come back from an injury. Looks like you have a great year planned.

Aside from the carbs for longer runs, how has the paleo diet been treating you? 

Hey All,

How was the weekend? I was up in NYC, and it was OK.

I got in late on Friday, so I mostly took Saturday off. I did walk around the city a bunch. My eating was a little crazy, as my mother and I went to the Brighton Beach area in Brooklyn to find some authentic Russian food. We succeeded, but ended up eating maybe a little more than we should have. Luckily it was an early dinner and we walked a bit afterward.

On Sunday, I managed to get up and run 11.5 miles. It was chilly, but I didn't get rained on, which was nice. I ran along the west side of NY and up to and over the George Washington Bridge. 

My original plan had been to run over the bridge and then down into the park where I will be running as part of IM NY/NJ. However, I got a little "lost" in NY exploring some paths I didn't know and was getting tired by the time I got over the bridge. I figured 11.5 would be plenty, and now I have an excuse to go back.

Overall, I did OK on my eating. I had a couple of treats, but didn't go crazy anywhere. 

last night I overdid it a little at home, but again, nothing spectacularly bad. Woke up this morning at 211.8, which is an improvement over last week.

Looking to get in some good medium rides and runs during the week, and another day in the gym. I may take some time off of swimming, or just do maintenance for a few weeks.

How was your weekend? 

It was a good weekend/workout-wise...not so good food-wise. Those homemade scones really call my name!

I am traveling for work this week and did something pretty crazy - I brought my bike and trainer with me so I can at least get my bike workouts in on my bike (the hotel has a LifeCycle - but it just isn't the same!)...first one was this morning. Note to self: not a lot on TV at 5am except infomercials.

Running around NY sounds great Eli! I have always wanted to do a long run in Central Park...it's on the list. You are lucky the weather held off for you - it poured rain all Sunday afternoon/evening in New England.

Paleo - hmmm. There are parts of it I really like. It did point out how much bread/cheese/dairy I eat when not controlling my eating. If I stick to the premise, I eat much more healthy (lots more veggies/fruit) but it was really challenging finding things I could eat while still preparing food for the family. In terms of performance impact - I don't know. The lack of carbs for longer efforts really affected me. I probably should give it more of a change than 3 months...but I don't know if my family/willpower could take it.

The weekend was good. We went on a little road trip for my son's lacrosse game. The eating on the road wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. We mapped out a few good places that we could eat healthy meals so it went good. That has been the one constant lately while fighting this injury is that my diet has been actually better than before. Obviously im not eating as if I were training full go but overall I am happy.

The recover has been going pretty good. Wraps are off, stitches are out, and the wounds are closed. I jumped in the pool for a little testing phase yesterday and felt great. I talked to the doctor this morning and he said if I feel comfortable to get back on a bike to go for it. He does not want me to run for at least another week and even then it will be fairly short distance just to test it out. I am feeling great though and cannot wait to get back to full strenghth.

Jennifer,

I grew up in the NY area, and trained in central park alot for my first marathon in 2002. It as a great 6 mile loop to run.

In regards to paleo, do you mean the no pasta/rice/potato/etc thing? I can't get my daughter to look at a veggy crossways, but I sneak some stuff to her now and again. I doubt I could convinve my family to go paleo, and I do find it hard not to eat the processed stuff, but I try to make meals that have the healthy stuff for me, and not eat the pasta, etc.

I think you are right though, one of the biggest benefits of trying a diet like that is that you focus on what you are eating more.

Nice Job. Eating on the road can be hard, but keeping it simple can help. I have to admit that I like to eat Chipotle when traveling. I get the bowl and try not to eat too much of the rice.
great news about the bike! Start easy though, your body has been through a lot! 

Awww, Nuts.

And Cookie dough.

That is what messed me up today. I bought some mixed nuts and accidentally made batch of chocolate chip cookies.

two little mistakes and BOOOM.

Ah, well, tomorrow is another chance to be healthy. And run a bunch.

This made me laugh out loud.

My rule of thumb with baked goods is if I make it myself - I can have some...if it's purchased, I can't. Now if I can just apply that to cheese!

Timing didn't work out for a swim this morning - we have to be in the city pretty early. I have every intention of doing both a run and a swim after work today. I struggle with swimming, so it seems to be the first to go when I have to make a choice.

Eli - you said you swam when you were younger and your swim times during races is very good - how much time do you spend swimming? Do you have a lot of muscle memory from previous experience? What are your favorite drills/workouts?

Hi Eli,

My name is Steph and I just registered for my first tri. I just found a 13 week training program but was looking for some advice on nutrition. Any ideas on where I might be able to find this info?

Jennifer,

I use that rule about 50% of the time when it comes to snacks and treats. However, I love to cook, so it doesn't work well.

As far as swimming...I swam in summer league from age 11-14 I think. This meant 1-2 hours of swim practice 4 days a week and a meet most weekends. 

Although practice had us doing all strokes, I mostly raced the 50 Free and 50 back. Back then, I could do 50 free in 30 sec, sometimes a little faster.

Now, I usually aim to swim at a pace of about 1:35-1:45 per hundred on swims. This is the pace I try to average for longer swims 800-1800.

I think it isn't as much muscle memory as water comfort. I used to play in the pool a lot and have a good sense of buoyancy. I also used to practice gliding along the bottom of the pool. It sounds weird, but I swear it helps if you know how to glide.

Steph, 

Congrats on registering! What length is it, which tri and when?

Sure we can help with your question, but it depends what you are looking for. For a sprint, you shouldn't need much in the way of nutrition. Maybe a gel or two.

For longer races and training it really depends. A general rule is that for workouts of less than 90 minutes or so, you probably don't need to bring much in the way of nutrition. That being said, when I started, I always brought water and at least a couple of snacks.

Do you have a more specific nutrition question?

The BT nutrition forum is good, or ask a question here, and we can try to answer.

Well my race plans have been changed. this sunday myself and a brother from the firehouse are doing a duathlon. 2.5 run 14 bike 2.5 run. in The Bronx Orchard Beach. and Eliwashere the sprint tri I am shooting for is in Hazleton PA. late sep. early Oct. again depends on the swimming lessons.

You ran within a cpl blocks of my firehouse it sounds. the Bridge is between 178 and 179 street and I am on 181st. Should have stopped by for a rest LOL.

Hi all, I'd love to join this mentor group if there is still room!

NAME: Jocelyn

STORY: I'm 25 years old and a second year medical student (translation - I spend 12 hours a day sitting on my butt studying). I was a competitive swimmer ages 7-18 and then proceeded to do nothing through college. 2 years ago I signed up with Team in Training and ran a marathon and did a spring tri. Kept up with the running, and now I'm getting more serious about triathlon

FAMILY STATUS: Single. But my parents and siblings are very supportive...and lost about why anyone wants to do these things.

CURRENT TRAINING: First olympic tri is June 3rd. Due to scheduling problems, nothing else is on the calendar besides some running events.

LAST YEAR'S RACES: half marathon, 15K, multiple 5Ks, the swim leg in a triathlon.

2012 RACES:  Keuka Lake Oly June 3rd. Boilermaker 15K July 8th. Warrior Dash 5K July 14th.

WEIGHTLOSS: When I don't stay with training I gain 10-20 lbs. When I stay consistent - mostly not a problem.

WHAT AM I LOOKING FOR OR GOALS:  Accountability. Bike improvements. Other people to get advice from and chat with about this awesome sport!

This sounds familiar! My father keeps asking about how the marathon training is going. My husband mocks me for bringing my bike and trainer on business trips (when I can drive to the client site), but helps me load the car. I'm glad my craziness is tolerated!

AJ, if I had known that, I would have come by!

Duathlons are a blast. I keep meaning to try one, but I can't give up my swimming!

Have you gotten in some good runs and bikes getting ready, or is this a "lets try it and see how it goes" race?

Do you know Kevin or Dennis Rynne? Or did you know Jack Rynne? My wife went to college with Jack's daughter and I have met the family a few times. Jack used to be at the 125th firehouse and I lived at 116th and Amsterdam.
 

Jocelyn,

Welcome aboard! We have room for another.

Wow, med school and triathlon!!! Way to go.

I know what you mean about gaining weight when you don't train. I have the same issue.

June 3 is coming up soon, how is your training going?

His last name escapes me at the moment. But I do know a Dennis who works at that firehouse now. And I am 99% sure that is his last name. If I have my names correct.  Dennis and I went thru the fire academy together. Not doing anything special for the race as far as training.  just try to get my daily workouts in. I am doing this race  for two reasons. A) My friend who is doing Iron Man Lake Placid this year for the 2nd time "suckered" me into giving it a shot. B) figured it would be a little test to see if my training is progressing forward at all. I'm all in for accomplishing my tri goals. Just my swimming is so week figured this would be a good "treat" for me as well. Give me a shout next time your running up towards the bridge. Never know might be working....

Name: Justin Wilson

Story: I have been a runner off and on for several years but never competitively. I was looking to get back into shape and decided that triathlon would be good motivation. I have yet to compete in my first event but if everything goes as planned I will be competing in the Amica sprint triathlon in Las Vegas in June. Swimming is definitely my weakest point and I hope to improve my swimming endurance over the next month. I am looking forward to being a part of this team and the opportunity to share experiences with other triathletes.

Family Status: I have been married for 4 years and do not have any children.

Current Training: I am a miner and work a rotating shift so my training hours aren't consistent from week to week, but I have managed to average about 3 days per week at the pool along with running and biking.

Weight Loss: I have lost about 50 pounds since about November (from 230 to 180 lbs.) and plan to lose more throughout my training.