PeterAK's Group: THIS TREEHOUSE IS FULL!!! (Page 2)

Swimming is in my backround - I'd trade half my swim ability to pick up an equal amount in the run! - no one ever won a tri on the first leg.... but thx for the congrats.. -  it was at Crystal Lake - I didn't know Pleasant Prairie has an OWS

To answer some of your questions....

Ideal weight - not sure.... i suppose low to mid 180's - i'll never be a 165 - at least i don't think so - i'd have to lose a lot of muscle mass. At 190 i felt pretty fit but still carrying around a bit extra fat around my middle -

Hernia recovery - Surgery was Oct 10 - took a month before i really felt like running - Dr said i could swim or run "when comfortable" but to hold off bike as there is too much lower ab flexion. For the most part 2 month post op I am feeling good and definately better than pre-op and can do everything again.

 The indoor series info is here:     http://mitcstriathlon.org/ it's a fundraiser for  National Multiple Sclerosis Society

4 events about every 2 weeks starting  at end of January

Swim
10 minutes
25-yard indoor pool Lanes shared by 2 athletes
Total lengths determine mileage -- 17 lengths is approximately 1/4 mile
Distance will be measured to nearest length
10 minute to transition to bike

Bike
20 minutes
Precor exercise bikes
No bike trainers -- all competitors use the same bikes
5 minute transition to run

Run
15 minutes
Total laps determine mileage
Full laps and half laps are credited

Happy friday everyone

Welcome Eric!  Tell us a bit more about the running you used to do.  Sprint or distance?  I can't wait to see how the running comes back to you.

How is your first week of training going so far?  What did you do?

So your wife is a good cook.  Can we have our mentor group get together at your house?  It's 12 degrees here right now so a trip to San Antonio sounds pretty good to me!  Does she cook healthy food?  I think eating healthy has to be a team thing.  Very hard for one spouse to make a change in lifestyle if the other isn't on board.

So sorry for the heartache you guys must be going through with the miscarriages.  I'll be thinking of both of you. 

If you care to share more info on your health scare please feel free.  Looks like among us we've dealth with quite a bit--cancer, lupus, etc.  Could be a bonding point for the group.

Okay, your first race is coming up fast--less than four months away!  I agree the HIM is a lofty goal, and I love it!  Remember that ramping up mileage too fast is a good way to get hurt.  You will need to pay close attention to what your body tells you in the first few weeks of training.  Keep us posted--record every workout in your logs and make notes about how you feel.  I did this in my IM training, and will be revisiting it when I do the next one.  There will be good workouts and bad and that's okay.  You are already signed up for a tri--congrats on being a triathlete in training!

If swimming is tough for you, make it a focus.  So much of it is technique, I encourage you to get lessons sooner than later.  Better to program yourself with a good stroke from the get go than to enforce bad habits trying to teach yourself.

We will kick you in the rear.  You and I may be quite a bit alike--I really enjoy coming home from work to spend some quality couch time.  BUT, my favorite place in the world is the finishing chute of a triathlon.  And those precious few seconds spent passing though it make all of the work worth it.

Look forward to bestowing the title of "Triathlete" on you on 3/30/08!!!

Zilla!!!! An honor to have you and your tiara in the group.

Two years with no racing eh?  That sorta makes you a born again tri virgin.  What do you think about getting signed up for that sprint in March so you have something solid to aim for?  Setting goals and planning races makes it easier for me to get off my azz.  I'm talking about a half mary at the end of Januray but I haven't signed up.  I have berely ran the last two months...  So, I need to start practicing what I preach here.

So, that said, once you have signed up for the March race look at the training plans on BT.  Choose the right one for you, match it up to your race date, and figure out your plan!

You want to do an IM.  You are considering a HIM this year.  How about choosing an olympic distance this spring?  Take a look for races in your area.  We can work together to figure out how the sprint and olympic will bridge together.  I think it's important to have the oly as a step in the big picture when working towards iron distance.

You seem happy with your body but want to lose fat.  Hmm...  Let's focus on building endurance and see what happens.  Your diet is JOB #1 right now!  What is your weekness?  Sweet, fat, salt?

Glad to have ya TJ.  Can't wait for you to do some more tris!

Who still thinks you're sumptin' special.  Trixie doesn't get to have ALL the fun!

Have all of you toggled e-mail notifications for this thread?  If you haven't do it now!  It will help us stay up to date on each other.

If you don't know what I'm talking about... Right below the "Post Reply" button is the check box to toggle e-mail notification.   If you turn it on you will receive an e-mail whenever a new post to is made to the thread.

He stalked us, I'm stalking back...

Pete's a good guy...use him well (he enjoys it...oops, was that out loud?) 

So here's the bio, folks....

Name: Jeff

Family Status: Married (16 years), one son (11).

Story:

I'm reclusive, introverted, emotionally needy and seek out the approval of others because of low self esteem. I can't wait to suck dry the emotional life of this mentor group! Thanks for the invite to the group, Peter!

Started Tris this past summer with one Oly - Pleasant Prarie. I came upon tris as the "natural?" extension of having been swimming/biking/running as a means to improve fitness and lose weight. It started last Christmas break when I started swimming. Couldn't do a single lap w/o dyin'. Slowly progressed to current state. Was up around 235 at that time and was sick and tired of being fat and tired. As the weather improved, added biking (had road biked a bit in college and mountain biked during a 5 year stint in Norcal). As the weather further improved and my weight dropped a bit, added running. I had run XC and distance track in HS, and had used running as my endurance sport of choice until began the tris. I ran the '99 Lakefront Marathon here in Milwaukee.

By all measures my training volume for the PP Tri was modest and I BDFU (Blew da F&ck Up) on the run. My only other race this year was the Fox Cities 1/2 Mary.

Current training is the BT 3xOly program, which keeps me engaged in each discipline 3x times per week, with a separate but structured 3x/week swim program run by a local TI coach. I begin a 20 week Half Iron Man (HIM) program in early March. My own critical review of my tri strengths and weaknesses suggests my bike is the weakest link, followed by either run or swim. From my logs you'll see I spent a fair amount of time on the swim this last year owing to the complete lack of skill and endurance. I sense the run is getting better. I have NO idea about nutrition either during the race or day-to-day. I have dropped about 25 lbs but have stagnated. I have a goal weight of 180 (realistic?, don't know).

'08 Races (currently registered):

Spirit of Racine HIM

Pleasant Prairie Oly

'08 Races (tentative):

Lakefront or Fox Cities Marathon

J-hawk early bird Sprint

High Cliff Sprint

Short Term goals:

Finish the Swim fit class

Complete the 3xOly program and train at least 5 days/week

Long term goals:

Complete the SOR HIM

Improve nutrition and get to target weight

Complete full IM race ('09).

That's my story...

Most excellent, Eric, we're about in the same spot. We could create a little "challenge" right inside the mentor group.

BTW, my best friend growing up went to St. Mary's for his undergrad degree. I visited him one summer while he attended. As I recall, we went tubing in a nearby river, heck if I remember the name, however. Had a great time in your neighborhood, back in the day.

NAME: Dave

STORY: Former athlete - 9 H.S. Varsity Letters and ended up landing a football scholarship and played at a Div I-A college.  Injuries ended that short lived carreer and ended up taking up not so rough sports...like rugby (what WAS I thinking)?  Served 5 years of active duty and 3 year reserve time as a Chemical Officer in the U.S. Army.  Wonderful stays included Peru, Alaska, Spain, Italy, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.  Resigned my commision to join the civilian work force.  Have recently moved to Wisconsin (2 years now) as the result of a new job.  Decided to enter a tri this year (2007) just because...

First little sprint was in May 07.  Had lots of fun despite only swimming maybe 1/2 dozen times in the month prior to the race.  (thanks to Zilla who helped talk me through it the night before)  I had 2 more sprints planned for the year.  Then on June 3rd, during a 5K race I aggrivated a recent knee injury to the point that I took myself to the ER that evening.  I had a torn meniscus (cartilage).  The following week at my pre-surgery appointment with my surgeon who was going to operate on my knee that day, I voiced concern over the swelling, pain and color in my lower leg.  An ultrasound discovered DVT - blood clot - most pain I've EVER been in ensued.  Lots of blood thinners and giving myself shots in the abdomen.  I could not have surgery until this cleared up.  For whatever reason, it hadn't fully disappeared and it took a 3rd specialist to give the "OK" to have the surgery, which I just had on Sept 27th.  So it's been just over 2 months since I've been repaired, I missed the entire tri season and I'm slowly making a come back!

FAMILY STATUS: Married for 14 years to Amy.  2 children - Mitchell is 10 and Andrew will be 4 soon. 

CURRENT TRAINING: Whatever my time and family requirements dictate.  I don't see any IM distances in the future - If I'm lucky maybe a 1/2 IM in a few years.  I will focus on a few sprints and an Oly this year and will see how it goes from there.

NEXT YEAR'S RACES: 2008 races:
Cell com Green Bay 1/2 mary
High Cliff Sprint
SOR Sprint
Oshkosh Oly

WEIGHTLOSS: Started this training as a way to get back into the shape I once was in.  Started at 236 lbs and am down to 211 lbs.  I had made it to 208 lbs before the injury 

daspanglers!  Good stuffs in the bio.

I had some high school letters, some were even for athletics (downhill skiing). But alas, more of mine were for the super cool stuff like band and academic decathlon.  I've really come into my own as a cool kid as an adult.  Looks like you have always been cool.  I designate you the resident coolness advisor.

You did your first tri just because?  Anybody influence you in that?  I did mine to do something fun with my brother.  Fortunately it gave the girl I was just starting to date a reason to beileve I was an athlete (and she's now my fiance!). 

Which of the three sports do you feel you are best and worst at?  I imagine the next few months will be about staying healthy as you rebuild your leg strength and endurance.  I know how disappointed you were when you got injured this year so here's looking forward to a healthy and successful 2008 season.

Great job on the weight loss!  You have managed to stay pretty stable since your injury despite drastically reducing activity.  Have you changed your eating habits?

Glad to have ya, and hope to meet you face to face one of these days rather than just getting yelled at by you!  (for the rest of ya, Dave was at IMWI and cheered me on but we've never actually met)

Yes.  But I'm a giver.  We'll take you anyway.  Bio.  Stat.

AND THIS GROUP IS NOW OVER CAPACITY LIKE AN INNER CITY SCHOOL ON THE FIRST DAY.  WE ARE ON LOCK DOWN!!!