Robmw2's Group--Full (Page 2)

Kelly the training log on this site is good and free!!! Just start logging your workouts, you will be glad you did down the road. I have been swimming in the ocean and lakes in Florida for years with no problems at all. What most people have trouble with is swimming with a mass of other people. This is easily overcome with a little practice and proper placing at the swim start. Make sure and try this before you start racing it will make your 1st race a pleasent experience.

Okay,
My bio:

I'm 41. Have been running for about 4-5 years. I ran a marathon in 2003 but have mainly been doing 5K, 10K, 10 milers and a couple of half marathons. I consider myself a little overweight and vowed one day to have a body fat percentage below 12% (currently around 18%). I have been interested in doing triathlon for a few years but had a baby in 2000 (well, my wife had the baby) and never received a lot of support from my wife to do the training. The thought has always lingered in the back of mind. I got divorced in August of last year. In September my EX-wife got into (wait for it...........) TRIATHLON!!!! She met some people at work who were really into it and got her hooked. So, I decided at that time that nothing was going to keep me from getting into this sport.
I started base training at the begining of January just doing longer slow distances at about 60% of my MHR. It's a very slow pace for me after running 5Ks but I want to make sure I train smart so I don't get injured. My race is about 16 weeks out so I'll start to ramp up my training in about 2 weeks. My weakest area is swimming so I've been trying to do some extra work there.
I'm still trying to figure out the training log. Once I do I'll post my workouts there.

PS: It's about 28 degrees and I just got back from a nice 6 mile run. :-)

Thanks for including me in the group and I look forward to experiencing this journey with everyone.

Well, I am very excited to see how this all works out for everyone. Good for all of you to be so motivated about fitness and to helping others achieve their goals.

Steve
You have been doing your homework. 16 weeks can make a perfect base-build-peak for your race. Get on that log and I will check in on you. Amazing how ironic life can be. Congrats on making the best out of a tough situation.

Hi Group

First of all – thank you for the warm welcome, Robert.
I have been very motivated since I got divorced. Now I have all the support I need from my girlfriend.
The bike trainer will arrive this week, and I can’t wait to try it and my new (2.nd hand) tri-bike.
My main focus will be on running for my marathon in Hamburg, late April. I have planned to follow the FIRST training program this time. I will use the bike and swimming for cross training, along with fitness boxing/strength training. I happen to live next door to a boxing world champion and her fitness/boxing center.
My brother did In fact go to high school in the Orlando area, Cocoa Beach, and did an All-America in swimming at that time.
Wow – what a comprehensive training log! I normally use Polar Precision Performance (PPP), which came with my Polar S625x watch, to keep track on my training and progress.
Normally I don’t keep track on sleep, calories, body fat and the like, but try to eat and live in a healthy way. I do measure my rest heart rate app. ones a month with my watch. Will try to include as much information in the training log as possible.
Even though I have access to a treadmill, I prefer to run outside, also at this time of year. Today’s weather looks promising (39°F) for a 12,5 Km (7,8 Miles) with no rain and only little wind.
Will try to maintain 5m 09s pr. Km (8m 18s pr. Mile)

Hans

Does everyone have a bike? What do you have?

I just got a Diamondback Podium 3. It looks really sharp. I just got it back from the bike shop last weekend and it's been way too cold to ride. I'll run in the cold but I have to draw the line at biking. Before that I was riding my GT mountain bike.

Steve nice bike. I don't blame you for not riding in the cold. I live in florida and will stay off the bike if it is below 50 degree's. Thank goodness this does not happen much here.

You all need to check out the training log for Hans, I feel guilty now complaining about my run in 50 degree weather( I thought it was cold). Hans you are hard core!

I have a TREK 3000something mountain bike.

I am very worried about showing up and looking silly with my mountain bike, but when I bought it, mountain biking was the only riding I was doing.

I use it to ride on the roads, too (up to the gym, around the neighborhood) and I'm hoping I won't need to buy a new one for my tri. That bike was WAY too expensive

--mandi

I definitely ran on the treadmill today---I'm a Florida girl in every sense imagineable, and it was 50-something today.

Hard core? I don’t consider my self hard core - Crazy perhaps :-)

Had to go through my training diary:
January 19, 2006
Blizzard, -10°C (14°F), 16m/s
I had decided to stay indoor. Was surfing around at a Danish running site, reading about a guy who had just got back from a short trip in the blizzard. If he could, so could I. I went outside, it was d… cold. Had to run on the road, as the sidewalk was blocked with snow. Sometimes the road was blocked with 50 cm snow. As I was running around in the blizzard, I laughed inside. I was getting snow in my mouth at every breath, couldn’t see anything, but I managed to run 3,4 Km in 18 minutes. When I was home again, I felt so good.
Every time the weather is bad, and I feel sorry for my self, I think back on that day in January – If I could run that day, I can run today!
The hardest part of training is from the couch to the front door!

Hans

Mandi,

Don't feel silly about showing up on your mountain bike. There will be plenty of other people just like you. You should be proud of the commitment you're making. Just remember that more than 99% will never eben attempt a triathlon. You are already in elite company.

Steve

Well Hans,

I won't be bragging about my 28 degree long runs anymore. :-)
You are one crazy dude.
Sounds like we have a great group.

Steve

I got a 2.nd hand Trek Hilo 2000 w. Shimano Ultegra. With a set of Zipp 400,a Zipp 870 disc and aerospoke front wheel. I also got a set of training wheels. A downside is that the Zipp are tubular and 650c size. It is possible to get 650c tires, but the choice is limited. I definitely would have chosen clincher type, same as my training wheels. The trainer is a Tacx Basic, model: T1670. I have just ordered the bike interface for my Polar watch. Hmm – I’m a bit of a gadget freak! But it helps with my motivation.
I plan to use this bike for a season or 2, and if I get hooked on tri, then buy a newer bike.

Hans

Mandi like Steve said people at the race will be on all kind of bikes, don’t’ sweat it. Yes the bikes are expensive! You all are great, very motivating. Make sure and check out each others training logs. It’s good to know that you are not alone in your goals and training. Hans you are a bit crazy my friend, Blizzard??? I am with Mandi on this one, 50 degrees and below =COLD!!.

.

Edited by robmw2 2007-01-31 5:22 AM

Robert,

Since you are the mentor and a PT I have a question for you. How long of a recovery time do you recommend between races? My Olympic is May 20th. I was thinking about doing a Sprint in the middle of April just to get the 1st one under my belt and get some experience. In running the rule of thumb is to recover one day for every mile raced. I also have a 10 mile race on April 1st. I don't want to overtrain and not be able to show up for my big race on the 5/20. I was thinking I could do the Sprint at a training pace and it wouldn't hurt me too bad.
If all this goes well there are a couple of other Olympic distance races I would like to do during the season.

Thanks,

Steve

Steve,
From the PT standpoint there is no reason unless you are hurt not to do what you are proposing. From the mentor side I would say it depends. Most high level endurance athletes will try to peak 2x’s/yr. This peak can last a couple of weeks. Your base fitness level has a great affect on this. I see no problem in doing the sprint(and ½ or full ironman is a different story). In fact this is probably a great time to get some intensity in your training plan. There are a lot of things to practice, swim start placement, transitions and bike pacing. These are the things I would work on in the sprint. The only thing I would worry about at all would be recovering from the run, but with your run base this should be a non issue. Just remember the sprint is a training race and if something starts to go bad just put it in cruise control and finish. If you are a competitive guy and want to get some free time make sure you practice the transitions, nothing more frustrating than to out swim, bike, run somebody and they beat you because of slow transition(of course this has happened to me). The more critical thing would be planning your second peak to correspond with your other Olympic distance race.

Thanks Robert,

Then I think I'll make my "A" races in May and the other Olympic in August. Then throw in some other events that I'll run at a training pace.
I'm thinking about doing the Baltimore Marathon but that isn't until the end of October.

Steve

Steve sounds like you have a very good understanding of setting up the year. The one thing I would tell you that I learned the hard way is make sure and put the rest into your schedule. I have done a few years of cutting back on my sleep to allow training time and I paid in race performance and in just not feeling well. Now I work just as hard on my rest as I do the training. Train hard rest hard. It makes a huge difference in recovery.

Thanks Robert,

I learned that lesson doing my run training. It seems like a double edged sword. With Triathlon you need to spend more time training since there are 3 sports but also need more time for rest and recovery. You have to really understand that if you build an easy week into your training you are not going to lose all of your fitness. That's a hard theory to trust. But....if you don't trust it then you suffer from overtrainig and your performance will suffer.

Do you think we should put together a list of the groups key races so we know where everyone stands in their training?

Steve good idea. If everyone will list there key races I will edit my 1st post and list them all there. Just put you key races and dates for this year.
Happy training

My big races that I've already registered for are:

4/1: Cherry Blossom 10 mile run Washington DC
5/20: Columbia Triathlon (Olympic distance)

I'm thinking about:

4/22: Kinetic Sprint Tri
7/22: XTERRA E2 (olympic off road)
9/9:Annapolis Triathlon (olympic)

How is everyone elses schedule coming together?

Steve

Hi Group

My schedule: (Not complete)

4/29 Hamburg Marathon
6/17 DM Olympic triathlon (DM = National Championship)
8/12 Olympic triathlon

And some short runs, 10 Km and ½ marathon

I'm on weekend and don't have my calendar here. Will post my complete schedule Monday

Mandi, Kelly, Erika – are you still here?

Hans