MJEWEN Spring 2013 Mentor Group - CLOSED (Page 20)

Ha! I like your taste in music ;-)

I'm still in awe of your bike ride under challenging conditions. I could not have managed half of that distance.

Isn't it amazing how time consuming high school has become? It sure was a relief to us when my daughter started driving herself to at least some of the activities. At least it's good to know that they are not shy about getting involved in activities!

My workouts for the week included a run and a swim so far, nothing yesterday, swim class tonight and I will try to get on the treadmill for a short run today, too. I will be out of town Fri-Sunday, no workouts planned. Dang it, why is it so hard for me to plan the bike workouts!! I thought I was finished with the trainer for the season, but something tells me I had better get that set up again if I want to do any riding at all.

My youngest is home sick today, so I am trying to finish all my work in the morning in case I have to take a trip to the pediatrician later.

Emile - I'm glad to hear that your injury is not bothering you for the recovery pace runs. Do you go by McMillan paces?

About the temps at this triathlon last weekend - I have heard from many people that they needed a mile or two to get the blood flowing to their feet after the bike ride. The temp did not bother me on the upper body at all, though many were out there with full sleeves and I only wore my tri top. It was mostly the cold feet that made running slow at first.

I have been watching the race reports and our local forum for reviews on the race, and many people were unhappy about it. It seems that the sprint bike turnaround was not marked well and there was no volunteer out there to tell the first sprinters to turn - some of them ended up going an extra 6 miles!! So there were many unhappy campers among the sprinters. Also, lots of water on the run course, which is tolerable for 3 miles, but not so great for the half distance.

Terry - I agree with Melissa good taste in music!  DeSoto's are awesome!  Never used the 400 milers but love my Riviera's.  I have Joel Friel's book it is pretty good but it isn't as good as I expected it to be.  A tri book I really like is Be Iron Fit by Don Fink.

Melissa - Wow! An extra 6 miles!  I would be upset too if I was one of the one's that had the misfortune to go an extra 6 miles. 

I had to cancel a run today because I guess I have a stone bruise on my heel.  It hurts so bad I can barely walk.  I was standing up in the bathtub and I guess I put way to much weight on my heel and I could kind of felt it crunch and it has hurt since that time.

Emile - right, I had forgotten you were using HR. That's very interesting, and probably a more accurate metric for fitness than pace. And OUCH, just reading about your foot injury made my foot hurt. I hope it heals quickly.

The swim workout was good yesterday, and I learned 2 new drills that I had never done before: human stroke and sculling. Both are hard as heck, the first one because it works your arms (no recovery) and the second because it takes me 5 minutes to get across the pool! The coaches are focusing on form during our weekly workout, so lots of drills, and we are supposed to do our distance on our own during 2 other workouts during the week.

That sounds very hard, the feet strapped together. The instructor told the class last week to pick your least favorite of the drills and really work on it, because the ones that seem easy are probably not helping you as much as the ones that are really hard.

The class only meets once a week, but we have 2 assigned workouts to do between classes. That's 3x more swimming than I have been doing, so I think it will help. I still haven't done my real race report for the tri last weekend, but I did improve on the swim leg from 14:41 last year to 12:22 this year! Which is huge for me. Sadly, I took all that saved time and tacked it onto the bike leg ;-)

OK, I'm headed out of town for the weekend, driving up to Kentucky with one of my daughters to meet up with some family and see a riding event at the Kentucky Horse Park. It's a lot of fun, but I won't be working out Sat or Sunday. Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

wow,  Emile, Melissa is right, that sounds very hard.... I've considered strapping my feet together, but something always holds me back.... I'll attempt it soon ...

Sorry for the delay in posting... work lately has been brutal.  It seems like this always happens..... I'm scheduled for and HIM next weekend, and my jealous mistress (work) wants all of my attention.... Last year I was fully occupied for two months prior to the HIM and wasn't really as fit as I would have liked.... it's the same this year..... but at least I'm biking and getting my times down on that and will be able to swim and get in some easy runs this week. It's interesting that once completing a particular distance, you kind of know what it takes to get to the necessary level of fitness....

Hey, Melissa.... have you ever been to Anderson SC?? I'm considering that location for my last HIM this year.....? It's about a 10-12 hour drive from where I live. Enjoy KY...

Melissa - That is a huge improvement on the swim leg!  I would be tickled if I make that much of a gain on my swim this season.  Have fun in Kentucky this weekend.

Terry - Your HIM is next weekend?  Wow it has gotten here quick!  The week before a big race is always very exciting for me.  You are going to do great.  You ought to feel pretty good about the bike leg you have been putting in some very nice long bike rides .

Thanks, Emile. I have a 40 mile ride tomorrow. I'll ride from my house about 12 miles to the location to warm up and then ride with a B group at 18-20 mph. Then 12 back home and a 5k run afterwards. There won't be anymore riding for me until Saturday after that.... I'll be staying at a hotel in West Palm Beach during most of the week. It's very close to the  location of the June 1 tri run course, so at least i can get up early and run that course ahead of time.

I've got the diet plan scheduled for the week. Hydration plan is good. Just need to have a few easy runs this week and work on a little swimming when I can.... should be all systems go . . . . (I already have butterflies).......

How was everyone's weekend?  We finally had great weather all weekend long here in Lincoln, NE.  I'm tapering for the Lincoln marathon this coming Sunday so did some work outside the house instead of much time on the trails.

Just purchased some paddles and an ankle strap for swim training.  Starting next week, this land mammal will be in the water a *lot*.  I found out we have a masters swimming group with a coach that trains together three times a week at one of our YMCA's.  I have to work some to meet the pre-req of 10 laps continuously before I can start going, so that will be my main training focus starting next week.

Go KenL! I hope you enjoy that class. Getting into the pool more frequently always helps me to enjoy it more.

Terry - I hope your last long ride went well and your taper week is restful. I think it sounds like your training rides have been great - you have not been slacking, that's for sure!!

Our trip was nice - the rain stayed away for most of Saturday, which was nice. We saw some amazing horses that day, checked out the vendors, did a lot of dog watching, too :-) The driving was boring, as it always is, but I had some books on tape that were great.

While I was there at the event taking photos with my phone, it suddenly died even though the battery was about 50% charged - well, it turns out, that was actually the phone itself dying :-( I spent the rest of the weekend and drive home with no phone. How strange after being reachable all of the time to suddenly have no way to call, check email, text, etc. But interesting, too, because I don't really consider myself to be very dependent on my phone... maybe I am more so than I thought! Anyway, it's all fixed now and I have a new phone.

My next event is this Saturday, the Hell Hole Swamp Gator Run/Walk 10k. It's a very strange and fun event held out in Jamestown, SC. The mayor of the town starts the race off with a shotgun, and the race director writes a poem commemorating the race, and then reads it during awards. The Hell Hole Swamp festival parade is a little later in the morning. In case you were wondering: yes, there is a pageant to crown "Miss Hell Hole Swamp" :-)

hey KenL .... That's great about the masters class.... it's always nice to be able to train with others. Good luck on the marathon.....

Just got a report for this upcoming weekend's race:

""T-6 day weather forecast still looking good. Overnight low of 65 and daytime high of 80 degrees. Winds are looking NNE switching to ENE through the day at between 4-10 mph. 66% humidity and 30% chance of rain. Water temp was 79 degrees yesterday so we are borderline wetsuit legal. If it rains this week, maybe, if it doesn't maybe not....""

this past weekend's ride was pretty good. I did about 30, the first 12 was about 15 mph the last 18 was near or at about 20 mph..... I felt really good about that.

Today is normally a day of rest.... i'll do some recovery/maintenance runs this week and work on some swim technique when I have time....

Terry - Sounds like perfect conditions for next week.  Are you hoping it is wetsuit legal or do you care one way or the other?

Ken - Good luck with the swimming!  I sure wish there was a masters class around my neck of the woods.  THe closest one is about an hours drive.

Melissa - I thought I lived in hillbilly country but I can say the location of your next race may have Southeastern Oklahoma beat.  I can't say we have a Miss Hell Hole Swamp anywhere around here.  Sounds like a very fun race!

I tried to run Saturday and made it to the end of the block before my heel started hurting.  So for now it's just biking and swimming.  I'm hoping by the end of the week I will be running again.

Some how a hell hole swamp festival makes me want to attend! Looks like everyone is working on swimming. I have three weeks and the pool will be open for the summer ! I cant wait to finally swim. So I am happy to report that I stared the running monster in the face and I am winning this battle. I was on the treadmill on Saturday day and I got pass the 30 minute mark of running and I was like oh I can slow down and stop now and then I did a mental body check lungs good, calves good, Achilles good, and knee good so I went another 5 minutes. I have one question what kind of socks do you wear. I normally wear a lightweight cotton sock when I have been running but I have been having some blister issues. Any suggestions?

Great job on the running Emily.....the pool will be a nice addition, and one more monster to slay..... sometimes I wear thin socks, most times I put body glide on my toes and don't use socks, and sometimes a combination. An ultra runner friend of mine tells me he wears socks that have individual toes. I think you just have to keep going until you find what works for you.

Emile, sorry about the heel.

As far as wetsuits.... they get pretty warm after a while. There was one race where it got so tight and hot I had to slow down twice to let some water in the neck area to cool me down. I like the bouyancy, but I'm so used to swimming without it. If they are legal - it will probably be a last minute decision.

Emily- Great job on the running!  Terry's suggestion of body glide is a good one.  Also, I don't know what kind of socks you are running in but I have had really good luck with Balega socks.  They are a little expensive but last forever.  I bought 5 pairs 4 years ago and I'm just starting to replace them right now.

Well I just layed out my running shoes for the morning.  I plan on giving it another try in the morning to see if I can start running again.  I was scheduled for a 40 min run tomorrow but I think if all goes well I'm just going to run for 15min.  My fingers and toes are all crossed I just absolutely hate it when I can't run.

Way to go Emily!! That's some great progress! As for the socks, my favorite are the thin ones from Smartwool. Like Emile's, they are pricey but last for many years. I think they are called PhD UltraLite socks. You can sometimes find them on sale on Sierra Trading Post. How is your shoe fit otherwise?

Emile - I am also crossing my fingers for you that the run goes well this morning.

Terry - How is tapering going? Have you had a chance to swim yet?

Just a short run for me yesterday. I listened to a podcast from a runner who was at Boston. So sad, I was crying a little while listening, but it was totally cathartic, too.

Today is swimming again, and I'll try to get in a short & easy run also.

"Terry - How is tapering going? Have you had a chance to swim yet?"

No Taper for me and no time for swimming so far. I've been out of town in a Federal Medicare Fraud trial all week. We're near the conclusion of that and will likely finish on Monday. So I'll have everything packed up and ready to leave on Friday night for the Sunday race, and leave from there  back to court first thing Monday morning.  I ran a little on Tuesday morning, about two miles, will run again tomorrow morning, about 4 miles and have an easy run on the course Saturday morning. I'll also swim a little on Saturday. My legs feel good, I got a nice pace going (for me) on the run and will take the next two runs easy and not try to push anything too hard.

It's difficult with work like this because I need the energy for focus and concentration at work and in the past when I get up and S/B/R or lift in the morning, I'm really tired in the afternoon, so I need to conserve my energy for that.  That's what happened last year at the 70.3. I was in trial the month prior to the event and was concerned about my level of fitness. This year I've increased my fitness level so I'm more confident than last year. 

The Next 70.3 is June 1 in West Palm Beach (that's where I am this week). I was also able to drive the bike and run course two nights ago and was able to observe all the hills, bridges and road conditions of the course. At least it helps mentally...... The run and swim course are beautiful. And as I was driving along the river, I began to think how very fortunate I am to live in such a place as this and really began to count all of my blessings. 

Hm, they seem to have moved us to an archive. I guess they are getting ready for the next mentoring session?

Terry - That does sound like an unforgiving work schedule. A little less biking is sure to leave you better rested for this weekend, though.

Emile - sorry to hear that your heel was still bothering you some, but it sounds like you did the right thing to take it easy.

I got a little feedback last night on my swim stroke so I have something to work on now. My legs drag a little, so I do need to kick more, and my head was held too high in the water. Also, my stroke is wide on the left side.

Run today, swim tomorrow and the 10k on Saturday.

I thought the mentoring group was for the year?  It would be nice to keep the group together but had some fresh faces.

Melissa - Getting feed back like that is awesome!  I really wish I had a swim coach that could help me with my stroke because I know I need a lot of work with my technique.  After reading the things you are working on one thing that stuck out to me is I wonder if you fix holding your head to high it might bring your legs up without adding more kick?  Like I said earlier I'm a very poor swimmer so take it with a grain of salt, but I have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express before.

Terry - Glad to hear you are feeling good.  For the next couple days leading up to the race make sure you get plenty of sleep and stay hydrated.  I got a feeling you are going to rock your race this Sunday!

I rode for an hour on the trainer today and It may have been my best ride of the year.  My mph on the trainer don't transfer over to outside mph but I can compare it to other rides on the trainer.  My ride today like most of my rides are done in Zone 2 and today I avg about .5mph faster than any other Z2 ride on the trainer this year.  I hate not being able to run but I think the extra biking is paying off!

Thanks Emile and Melissa. I feel pretty good about this upcoming weekend - it's been raining all week here and it's expected to be raining this weekend on Saturday .... and probably raining on Sunday. But definitely not as cold as Melissa's past frozen Tri.... Melissa- don't underestimate the power of a Holiday Inn Express.....

I agree, we should begin another group. let me know what you guys decide...

Sorry, I've been AWOL for awhile, just a lot going on.  Officially the mentoring group is a 3 month duration but there is no problem keeping the group going.  I think it's great that we have small core who have become close and are continuing to share.  Support and encouragement from those who are going through the same experiences as you is always important.  I know some of you don't have others in your immediate area involved in the tri life style so that makes our group even more important.  Continue to post as long as you like.  

This has been the worse spring here in SE MN for a long time. We had our latest date to reach 60 degrees.  It's been below avg temps and wet as well.  I did my first race, a duathlon, last Sat.  I rode about 20 miles outside on my tri bike on Fri for my 1st outside ride on the tri bike.  Race went really well.  I was able to ride 57 miles on Mon but then on Thu we got a record 10-12" of snow.   I trout fish a lot and this is usually prime fishing time for me but the rain/snow have kept the streams high and muddy so I've been limited there as well.  Plus I have my days working at the bike shop I didn't have last year. 

I am going to be the lead biker for a 15K running race on Sat.  They may have to switch the route due to the snow.  Temps on Sat at race time are predicted to be 38 with a 60% chance of rain/slush.  

Race report

Mike - I know how you feel with the weather.  We broke the record twice in April for coldest day ever in Oklahoma and already broke the record for the coldest day in May ever in Oklahoma.  It has been a miserable spring.  Great job on the duathlon!

I went out for a short run this morning to test out my heel.  Ran 2 miles with no pain.  I could still feel something was different about my heel but no pain.  I plan on keeping runs very short for a week or two and see if it stays pain free.

My vote is to open up a new mentoring group so the members of the current group who want to stay can and we have the opportunity to add new members.  Whats everybody else think?