left.right.repeat group -closed - Full of a bunch of winners...YEAH! (Page 20)

thoroughly before your race. Good luck!

Ah, yes, those fast colors help too!!

I'm off tonight too now. I wish you all the best in continuing your triathlon efforts. Please feel free to visit my website (www.train2race.com) or email me directly at [email protected]. Keep on encouraging one another!

Ack, I missed her. I was spending time with hubby. (NCIS night.) Thought I'd have enough time after our show. *sigh* This is good/useful stuff here, though. I'm going to need to read through all this carefully. Wow.

I figured I might have a circulation problem. The good news is the numbness doesn't keep me from working out.

Dan and Leston! You are both sweethearts, too!

Night folks! Thanks again, Marianne. *huge smile*

sTRIving on!

Bryan - thanks so much for getting Coach Annie on line with us and thanks Annie for some great advice and encouragement.

Just before our forum I was at a session called The Inside Edge presented by sports psychologist Dr. Peter Jensen. It was FANTASTIC and relates so much not only to sport and what we in this mentorship group are all about but also to personal and professional lives. I would have loved to have you all there or be able to share it through podcast or something.

One of the big messages was about the power of imagery. It is so much more powerful than the spoken or written word. So, picture yourself pulling strong in the water, being fast cheating the wind on your bike, etc. One of my little habits - I finish every practice run with both arms up and a big smile as though I have won the race and am the champion. We do on the day what we practise before and it is an image of success for me.

He asked us how easy it would be to grocery shop with a list of "Don'ts", ie. don't buy this, don't buy that. Yet, for many of us we focus on the don'ts - don't look down/up, don't push too hard, etc. - when we are doing our sport. Better to focus on the things to do.

Another gem was about "re-framing". So, instead of thinking I can only run 12:00 minute miles and everyone else runs 8:00 miles, what about, I am strong and run miles in 12:00 minutes - I used to only run 13:00 miles or I couldn;t run at all or think how much faster I am than all the people who are on their couch,etc.

So many wonderful thoughts. I am going to try and find his book - The Inside Edge. And he knows what he's talking about - coached at 6 Olympic games, multiple world champions under his tutelege, etc. etc.

 FBP, aka Sticker, aka Pimp Daddy, aka aka aka

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP (that's Bryan honking at Mav's butt...LOL!)

FBP - it either has to be Stickers or Nascar - that bike has more stickers than Jeff Gordon or Dale Earnhardt....

More later

What a great post, Peter - uh, I mean Stickers! (I LOVE that nic name!) Seriously though, I really appreciate you sharing that with us. I've copied and pasted it to a text file and I'm gonna read it every day between now and my tri. With the event getting close, I've been seriously questioning my sanity... I need all the help I can get.

Leston, your swimming is rockin' dude! And Dan? You inspire me too! Look at how far you've come! Just WOW.

I have 16 days before race day. Any advice/suggestions would be so appreciated! sTRIve on, fellow turtles!

Mav - love it -  "Sticka". I think I must've been a Bostonian in a past life because I SO love the accent!

Flipper - another vote from me for mav's advice of (a) practising transitions and (b) trying to get to the venue to scope it out in advance.

A story ...

A few years ago I met Mark Tewksbury, one of Canada's greatest ever Olympic swimmers. He spoke about how he travelled over to Barcelona the year before the Olympics to get a sense of what things were like. The facility was still under construction but he snuck in and found his way to the men's locker room, walked the route that he would take to teh starting blocks, looked at where the fans would be, the clock, etc. etc. and then we "swam" the race in his mind. he went so far as to figure out where he would walk to get to the podium and pictured the flag being raised and the national anthem being played.

He won the gold medal.

When I ran NYC and Boston I couldn't get to the venue itself but through technology (youtube, websites, etc.) I had a really good picture in my mind's eye about where the hills were, where the crowds would be etc. So - get out and train on the course if possible, visit it if practical!

FBP

Thanks for the advice, guys! Aye, I would definitely ride and run the course if I could, but a 5 1/2 hour trip to Birmingham to do that isn't financially feasible at this point. Because the Tri has been touted as good for beginners, I wasn't too worried about the bike and run course. It's a "tiny Tri" compared to what you guys are doing. Even for a sprint, it's small, lol. But yesterday I came across a BT member who entered it last year, and not for the first time apparently.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=78437

He classifies one of the hills as a "monster" that had "kicked his butt" in the 2 previous years. Ok. Now I'm really scared. The thought of walking up a hill with my bike is enough to make me want to drop out. But all the seniors in my sculpting class know I'm entered in this. They ask me constantly how the training is coming, and are cheering me on. (I wish I could take them with me!) Also, I picked this Tri because it's geared specifically to folks who have never done a triathlon. There's even a class the night before the race for beginners to get 'newbie' instruction and ask questions. So... I guess I'll have to brave the hills. The most frightening thing of all is that what we in LA (Lower Alabama) and what Northern Alabamians call hills are 2 entirely different animals. *sigh* We have a few, what I call, steep hills here in south Mobile county, but the roads are heavily traveled highways, and I'm terrified of getting out in that traffic. We had 2 cyclists, who were riding together, hit and killed across the bay several months ago. And I don't know how people are where y'all live, but I was shocked when I started riding in my neighborhood. I've almost been backed into twice, and a woman pulled out right in front of me from a side road today. She looked right at me and pulled out! And I mean, I was right there. If I don't hit the brakes and run up in a yard, she hits me. Scary. Ack, but I'm off subject.

Ok, so, I bought ibungee shoe strings for my running shoes, and yes, I'm using my running shoes on the bike. After this event, I'll re-think bike shoes. I have a list of things to get: a running belt for my number, a very light weight wicking tank top to wear over my bathing suit and biking shorts, and nutrient gels (not that I'm likely to need those for this itty bitty event. *grin* I still haven't practiced changing a tire (shame on me!) so I MUST do that this week. My bike is set up with utility bag, water bottle rack, and front and rear lights. (No computer yet. I need to put that off for a bit, too, if I can.) I've watched several YouTube clips on transitioning and I'm seeing to bring a towel and lay everything out on it: sunglasses in helmet, etc. Is that right? YTri suggests bringing a hard plastic box (a small one) that way, you can turn it over and sit on it to put on your shoes if you need to. (I'm re-reading all the beginner tips. ) I can't ever see me clipping shoes to my bike and then mounting it barefooted AT A RUN, but it was fun to watch! I'm not exactly sure when to start tapering. Hubby thinks I should start next week. And what kind of workouts should schedule for tapering?

Guess I need to carry a notepad with me so when I think of a question, I can write it down. I'm sure I'll have a several more before the next 2 weeks are over. *grin*

Peter, I'm visualizing biking up Mount Everest. Maybe that will help. You think there is a trail? (If I don't laugh, I'm gonna start trembling, LOL.) Thanks so much for the story of the gold medalist. VERY inspirational.

Marianne! I can't wait to hear how your Tri goes! You are going to be awesome!

Later, sTRIvers! Turtles RULE!

Big race weekend with mav doing her tri (tomorrow or Sunday?) and "me and the missus" doing our Half Marathons on Sunday. Weather forecast for Fredericton continues to change - currently calling for cool temps and light rain. No worry although I will have to remember to put bandaids over nipples because dryfit shirts when wet are like sandpaper!!

Flipper - thanks for mentioning the youtube transition videos. had a look at them and found them to be really helpful. I am going to practise as follows:

1. Sit in hot tub in race clothing; 2. Jump out and run across back driveway to where I will have prepositioned Seb; 3. Ride around the corner (we live on a corner lot) and into our front driveway where I will have prepositioned running gear; 4. Run from front driveway into back yard  and finish next to the hot tub.

Sticka

Marianne... omg, girl. I think God put you on this team just for me. Thank you, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I had tears in my eyes when I read your post. I shared it with hubby, who, bless his heart, was getting the brunt of my negativity, and he said "there you go - just what you needed to hear." And it was. Now, after saying that, and with only 2 weeks to go, what is the best way to get ready for monster hills if I don't have actual real-life hills to bike up? Should I up the intensity on the stationary bike?

Sticka! Great idea for transition practice! I don't have a hot tup, but I think I'll hose myself down in the front yard, hehe. My neighbors are going to think I've really gone over the edge this time. *grin*

sTRIving on even if I have to walk my bike uphill! Woohoo!

PS - Good luck with those "halves" Peter! That is so exciting!! I bet it's so much fun running with your wife. Bill entered the 5k with me, but he can't seem to find the time to keep up the work outs. Silly real life jobs. I worry about him... he needs the exercise just for peace of mind and stress release if nothing else. But I don't want to nag. And when college footbal gets here, I lose him completely, lol. Who I'm kidding. I live for it more then he does. War Eagle!

Mav - one year ago this weekend when Jill was running her first ever 10k (can you believe that she's now going to be doing a 21.1k Half !!), I made up a big sign using spray paint and an old bed sheet that I bought at a thrift store. I snuck out of the house at 6 a.m to get downtown and tie it to the railing of a pedestrian walkway under which we would be running. It had on it a sentiment that is appropriate for you (and for Jill) on Sunday ...

RUN LIKE A MOTHER !!!

Have a great race and can't wait to read your report.

Sticka