Slornow's and Wannabefaster's Summer Mentor Group - CLOSED (Page 2)

I had to bump my long stuff to Tues/Wed in the aim of not failing my licensing exam. So tomorrow and sun include a bike LT workout, two easier swims and a power run workout. Monday will be my rest day...Then the plan is Tues: 6hr ride + 30min brick run, Wed: 3hr ride + 90min brick run, Thurs: easy recovery swim, Fri: 2:05 long run, Sat: FLY TO HAWAII!!!

Coach's statement about the above: "This is a big load of training but I think it's worth it - once you get done with studying and get out to Hawaii, you'll be ready to train quite a bit with a lot less distractions. Woot! "

Dagger eyes....dagger eyes....

I'd really like to continue with the group. You guys have helped me so much through your support and example. There's still so much of the season left, too.

 Name: Dave

 Story: I'm 52 years old and I'm an avid rock climber. Due to scheduling issues, I couldn't go on my annual spring trad climb last year and a friend of mine invited me to run a 10k. I ran track and played football in HS and college (100m, 200m, relays, pole vault, and discus) but anything over 400m was long distance. I trained for the race and did better than I would have ever thought. This same friend then invited me to a sprint Tri and I got spanked. Never one to take a beating lightly, I started training and running more with the idea to create an endurance base to really give this Tri thing a go in 2013.

 Family: I've been married to my high school sweet heart for 32 years. I have a son who's a sophomore in college and a 13 year old son in junior high.

 Training: I hit 200 pounds two years ago and realized that not only was this affecting my climbing but would eventually affect my health. I started watching what actually went into my mouth doing P90. I'm now down to 175. In Feb, I began one of the BT training modules for an Olympic Tri in June.

 2012 Races: 10k in May, sprint Tri in June, biathlon in July, 5k in August, half marathon in sept, 8k in oct.

 2013: I've complete a series of indoor sprint Tri's in Jan, Feb, and April. I finish the Y Indoor Sprint Tri Series this month and I race in a half marathon this weekend. My scheduled Olympic Tri is in June. If I can get through that healthy, I'm considering a full marathon in Oct but I'll likely find a few smaller races prior to that.

2014: I'm hoping if I get through this season healthy and have developed a good endurance base, I can give a shat at a HIM or an IM. We'll see what develops. 

 Weight loss: As mentioned above I have lost around 25 pounds. I'd like to eventually get to around 165 but it's been too hard to push hard in training and lose weight. I'll finish the final weight loss goal at the end of this season.

Mike, Rachel, Laura, Kate -- welcome.   Lots of women joining!   Might class up the joint a bit.  

I just had what I described to my wife as the perfect run.   Did a run around my block, which is an exact 5K run plus a bit of warmup and cool down.  

• A beautiful 10C (50F) -- very comfortable in T-shirt and shorts
• Nearly no wind -- which is a rarity as I live on top of a hill
• I saw 3 deer along the way -- first Bambis of the year.  I scared one away, but the other two just stared calmly at me. 
• And -- I managed to set a PR for the 5K -- broke the 28 minute barrier (27:57) when my previous best was 28:40. The last 500m is a significant downhill and I turned on the jets -- my pace hit 4:15 / km (under 7:00 / mile) -- man it's fun to run that fast.  

I have a longish bike planned Saturday morning (40 km -- first time at the Oly distance), and a long run on Sunday.  No races until May 25 (HM).

Happy weekend all!

Scott.

Hi All, I hope I'm not too late, but I'd love to be part of this mentor group

NAME: Em - (twosneezesshort)

STORY: I started running last year with a run group, doing a couple of half marathons. I fel great and healthy and made a lot of friends doing it, so I joined up with the ocean swim group they run over summer (I live in Sydney, Australia) and started getting into swimming pretty heavily through the warmer months. I've kept up with swimming, but with less intensity, and am currently 9 weeks out from running the Gold Coast Marathon.

I turn 30 this year, and would love to ring that in with some new challenges. The girls I swim with came up with the "crazy" idea to enter into a triathlon, and I figured with running and swimming I'm only one leg short. So we've entered into a Triathlon on Hamilton island at the end of the year!

I am a complete beginner to the sport of triathlons! While I have ridden bikes before, it's definitely a leg I'm less confident with!

FAMILY STATUS:   Single

CURRENT TRAINING: Distance runs, track nights and tempo runs weekly, weekly pool or ocean swim session, pilates/yoga and some spin class for cross training

2012 RACES:  Sydney City to Surf, Sydney Running festival half marathon, Central Coast half marathon

2013 RACES: Palm to Whale beach big swim (2.7km), North Steyne ocean swim (2.8km), Freshwater (1.5km), training for Gold Coast Marathon (7 July), City to Surf, Hamilton Island Sprint Triathlon and Whitehaven beach 2.2km swim, possibly one of the elite energy tris in October.

WEIGHT LOSS:  I'm fairly consistently around 60kg, well within my healthy weight range, not something I'm too concerned with

WHAT WILL MAKE ME A GOOD MENTEE:  I responded so well to the group training with my running and swimming group, I love the community, sharing tips, training is so much more fun when you've got people to share with.

Morning!  If there's room, I would like to join this group.  Here are my details....

Suzy Shain - Madison WI

My Story: Started endurance sports at the age of 40 after seeing the first IM WI in Madison in '02. I knew one day I wanted to do the race as a way to get over my fear of water. Since I didn't know how to swim and rarely biked I turned to running and did 12 marathons before deciding to tackle the limiter holding me back from triathlon--swimming.   Support from friends, many lessons and some deep soul searching got me to my first super sprint in '08.  Since then I've done IM WI in '10/'11/'12 and plan to do it in '13.  IM is my favorite distance.  I love to run and I have really learned to like the bike.  I just started doing TRX this off season and have really embraced it as a way to get a stronger core.

Family: Married for 23 years to Paul,  no kids, but we do have an awesome Cockapoo, Cooper.   

'13 Races/Goals:  "A" race is IM WI #4 where I hope to hit 12:XX after a bad '12.  I completed the Oakland marathon in March where my goal was to achieve BQ #4 and break my marathon PR set in '07.  Fortunately, I did both so will be back in Boston next year.  Should be memorable.  Will add a few more short distance tris in there too.

Weight:  If I lost a couple of lbs. I wouldn't complain.  I always gain some amount of weight in the OS.  At 4'10" and 103lbs it is very easy for me to put on the lb if I'm not careful, even with volume.

What I need to work on: Maintaining a positive frame of mind if one of my disciplines isn't improving as much as I would like. This is usually swimming.

Other Tidbits: I live on the IM MOO bike course just past the ugliest hill of them all.  I just picked up my new tri bike this week, a custom Parlee.  Very excited!!

Dave-welcome back!

Em/Suzy-great to have you.

Well, "winter" has returned to the Gulf Coast. Currently 48 degrees with a 15mph north wind. Much more like late Feb/March than May. Thankful its not 90 degrees but a little warmer would be nice. I'm hoping that these cool temps will continue on to the Atlantic Coast......I'm holding out hope for Eagleman to be wetsuit legal. Believe it or not I'm a much better swimmer in a wetsuit!

I'll be out training until early afternoon. Saw a funny tweet this morning about racing and I feel like it applies to my training session today..."it's time to treat your body like a rental car."

We have room for a few more. Great to see such a variety of experience levels. 

Suzy-you are in good company here if the swim is your struggle. Jason and I alternate between hope and despair in our swimming. Love those good days but can't understand why they come so rarely. SWEET bike....Di2? Looks like it. Its amazing.

Can't put this off any longer....got to get out the door and ........ride.

I'd like to join, if possible, though I'll warn you, I'm a total newbie to tri.  So, if that's a problem, let me know....

Name: Nancy Schwertfeger (Glfprncs).  I'm in the Augusta, GA area, am an 8th grade English teacher, and will be 42 in a few weeks. 

Story:  I played basketball and softball as a teenager, but most of my life was spent riding/training and competing three-day event horses.  When I finally had to grow up and move out of my parent's house, the horses weren't a financial possibility if I wanted to do other things, so I walked away from it and busied myself with a new hobby (golf--hence my screen name of Golf Princess).  I met my husband via the golf industry.

I started getting serious about my fitness in 2009.  I hadn't been playing much golf as I had newer career (middle school teacher) that took a lot of my focus.  However, at some point I realized I owed it to myself to have a life that I could enjoy more, so I started working out with home fitness programs (P90X was the first) and never looked back.  After several years of working out in the comfort and privacy of my own home (and losing 30 pounds in the process), a friend of mine shared that she'd qualified for Boston in a recent marathon.  I've never liked running, but always wanted to "be a runner."  With her encouragement, I started running, using Couch to 5K.  I signed up for my first 'race' which was 5 months in the future...a half marathon.  Had a great 5 months of training, finished the half in 2:15, and immediately signed up for another.  After running for a year and a half total (and running a few more half marathons along the way), I started training for a full marathon, which I completed this past March in Columbia, SC (4:54:12).  I'm not fast...my 5K pace is right around 9 minutes/mile and marathon pace averages 11. 

After the marathon euphoria ended, I needed a new goal.  I like goals...generally the bigger, the better.   A friend suggested the Augusta 70.3.  I scoffed at the idea at first...but the seed was planted.  Next thing I knew I was buying a bike, joining the YMCA so I could start swimming, and joining the local tri club. 

Family Status:  It's just my husband, myself and our three dogs.  My husband is a caddy on the web.com tour, so he doesn't join me in my fitness 'stuff,' but he supports my schedule when he's home.  I get some extra exercise each day because the pups need exercise, too.

Current Training: I've downloaded a HIM schedule in the Beginner Triathlete section here, and it looks pretty manageable.  However, since this is my first rodeo, I'm not really sure how it'll all pan out in the end.  Currently, I'm swimming 3 days/week for about 40 minutes (Tuesday mornings, Friday afternoons and Sunday afternoons) and am finishing up a 4 weeks of swim technique lessons from a local tri guy who was also a collegiate swimmer.  The lessons have REALLY helped tremendously, and I'm glad I invested in it.  I also ride my bike on Tuesday & Thursday afternoons (20 miles) and I ride 35ish miles every Saturday morning with the local bike shop.  My run days are scheduled for Monday afternoons and I also run on Thursday right after I get off the bike and on Sunday mornings. 

I'll be honest...I'm enjoying the running the least right now.  I think that I'm enjoying the swimming and cycling so much that after training for the marathon, running just doesn't seem so appealing. 

The HIM plan I have in my possession starts near the end of May.  I'm a teacher, so this will coincide with the start of summer vacation which will be a nice spam of two months where I can really focus on training.

2012 races:  No triathlons, but I ran 4 half marathons and a handful of 5 and 10Ks.

2013 races:  Completed a half marathon and a full marathon.

Signed up for:  First sprint in early June, another sprint late June, Oly in early August and early September, and Augusta 70.3 on Sept. 29th. 

Weight Loss:  Yes, please.  For me, the weight loss comes easier when I can include weight training into my training schedule.  Alas, with the volume of HIM training, I'm not certain if and when I can fit that in.  I do focus on clean eating, but I fondly call my husband, "Mr. Little Debbie."  He eats crap...I try not to.  Preparing meals is oftentimes a challenge!

What will make me a good mentee?  Once I'm signed up for something, I'm committed.  I'm all about learning, improving, and enjoying myself along the way.  That said, I'm also competitive.  I seriously doubt I'll ever see a podium...I'm a MOP girl...but I do push myself in training to be better...to ride harder, to run this mile faster.

I do, however, have questions.  I'd love a sounding board of knowledgeable people who can help me with my goals.

When I started swimming, I needed a swim cap.  Being the budget conscious person I am (when I can be--I spend the money where it's necessary!), I went through the 'logo overrun' bin at the local swim supply store and chose one with the initials C.A. on the side.  My husband said it's a reminder that his wife is no "Candy A@@."  That about sums it up...

Good luck with the brick.  I like those kind of challenges!

The weather in Wisconsin has been very fickle.  Today I got to do my pace work/hill run in the rain and 50F which might sound warm, but not this time of year.  Tomorrow if the weather cooperates I am off to my first 55m event ride in the hills.  I've done this ride a couple of times and it kicks my rear this early in the season! FUN.

PS. Kind of psyched to see some older people in the group .  I turned 50 a couple of weeks ago.

Hi - I posted earlier and am hoping I can still get in on the fun.

Name: Megan, age 33

Story:  I was born with pretty much no innate athletic ability, self-identified as "the slow kid" for most of my life, and figured sports just weren't my thing. Starting in college though, and increasing afterwards, I made the liberating discovery that I didn't need to be the one winning the race to be an athlete. I enjoy time outdoors (hiking, paddling, cycling, etc) and the thought of doing a triathlon has intrigued me for some time. At various points during the past ten years, I've been variously involved in spinning, swimming, running, weight training, etc. and want to bring it all together.

Three and a half years ago I had my first child, and a second one followed soon after that. Between that, a move, and new jobs for both me and my husband, I pushed regular exercise to the back-burner for awhile. Earlier in the year, I decided for my own sanity that I needed to change that and shortly thereafter decided to commit to completing a triathlon. My hope is that this is just the beginning of a much longer commitment to the sport.

I'm an okay swimmer and biker, but pathetically slow runner. I doubt I'll ever be fast, but I'm pretty driven and competitive, and think I might be well cut out for this endurance stuff. I'm slowly rebuilding my base fitness although I struggle to find the time to exercise as much as I would like given my family and work commitments.

Family Status: I am married with two little boys, ages almost-2 and 3. I work part-time, and the rest of my daylight hours are mostly spent chasing my little guys around. During the week, that can make it  hard to fit in outdoor workouts, but I'm trying my best and using the jogging stroller/bike trailer when I can. I've also got a great big giant dog, who up to this point has been my running buddy, but lately with the higher temperatures and longer distances, I've been leaving him in the dust.

Current Training: I'm currently fitting in about 3 runs, 2 rides, and 1 swim a week - roughly following a plan I downloaded from BT. Once our neighborhood pool opens for the summer, I'll be able to up the swimming to at least 2x/wk. I've been taking a triathlon-specific swim class for the last two months, which has been fantastic and a huge motivator.  

My two biggest challenges at the moment are running (specifically, maintaining anything resembling a decent pace without letting my HR go through the roof) and finding the time for outdoor rides. I'm spending a lot of time on our bike trainer, but need to get out more.

2013 races:  First sprint in early July, trying to figure out if I can pull off an Oly in Sep or if that will have to wait until next year. I have plans to focus on my running come fall (I need it!) and enter some 10k or even HM races.

Weight Loss:  Sure! I wouldn't mind losing 10lbs or so (I'm at the upper end of a healthy weight) but that's a secondary goal to increasing my endurance

What will make me a good mentee? I've maintained my commitment to training for a tri for the past two months on my own and am motivated to keep it up, but I think I could really benefit from the additional motivation being part of a mentor group would offer. I'm obviously new at this and have a lot to learn, but hopefully can contribute as well. The camaraderie I've found in my tri-swim class has been awesome, and I'm hoping to be able to replicate some of that here while learning from some of you guys who have been at it much longer, and being inspired by the other newbies like me.

Survived my workout...barely. Rewarded myself by meeting my wife for lunch at our favorite dive on the river. Draft beer, gumbo and grilled fish sandwich....my initial attempt at recovery

Welcome everyone who has joined since I was on this morning. I think we are getting close to full. By my count 8 returning members and 9 new faces. Maybe 1-2 more and then we will close.

If you have not posted a bio please do so we can get to know you.

I'd like to join your group, if it's still open!

Randy, I think I was in your group, or in a group with you a couple years ago.... 

Anyway, if you still have a spot, I'd love to take it!

Karla

Hey Karla-how are you doing? Glad to have you.

Room for one more new member before we close.

Thanks!

I'm doing great Randy! It's been a while... yikes! Here's my bio:

Name: khharms aka Karla

Story: I started my Triathlon journey in 2011 as a way to lose weight, well, baby weight really. What I didn't know, was that I would love the sport and want to continue doing events. I have done 4 tri's, taking 2012 off to expand our family again.

Now I'm back and ready to really focus on training and becoming faster and better.

Family: I've been married 3 1/2 years and have two awesome kids - my daughter (Audrey) is almost 3 and my boy (Tyler) is almost 1. They keep me quite busy!

Training: I don't have a plan in place yet, which is why I logged in to BT! I have a Super Sprint on Sunday (May 12) and I have done zero training for it. This race is just for fun for me, and kind of a way to get me back in the mood of triathlon. When I set up my schedule, it will be run focused and most biking will be done on the trainer. Swimming is really put on the backburner for me. Not to say I don't need the water time, but swimming is my strong event. I have to focus on the other two.

2012 Races: I did one - Oktoberfest. I did as much training as I could post baby/recovery. I did podium - 3rd place, but I don't really consider it a victory considering the competition. I did that race 8 minutes slower than 2011. 

2013 Season: I have 3 for sure races -

TriGirl Super Sprint May 12
TriGirl Sprint August 18
Oktoberfest Sprint October 13

I'm looking at 2 more, but I'm waiting on some 'friend confirmations' before deciding.

I am also considering doing the Oilman Half, but if I do it, I will do a relay. 

Weightloss: Yep. Nutrition, more than running, is my weakness! Right now I am doing the My Fit Foods 21 Day Challenge. I am on round 2 and not doing so hot. I'm burned out on the food, and really, I miss making my own food! (That's rare, I hate cooking!) I want to lose at least another 10-15 before Oktoberfest, and that will put me right at my goal weight.

What will make me a good mentee?: I'm a great cheerleader and I love triathlon! I tend to look past the 'bad' in races/training because let's face it, we're human, things happen that are beyond our control. I am still considered 'new' at triathlon - I certainly don't have the experience that many other people do, but I still have experiences! I'm a kick-a**swimmer, a wannabe cyclist and running... yeah, not my forte. I'm here to learn and grow as a triathlete, and hopefully offer some tips as well!

I would love to join your group, if possible.  I am out and about today but I will post my bio tonight.