TriAya (Yanti) and lmscozz (Lynn), Manatee Mentors--FULL! (Page 20)

Must agree with the group here, Karen. I would also just keep in mind if it's a company that hasn't done many tris everything may not go like clockwork. Just roll with it. It would be very nice to have it so close to home. Cuts down expenses, increases sleep and kind of gives you as an athlete a sense of ownership. Then you can tell everyone else next year what a great event it was.

How exciting, Dineen!! Your first tri will be memorable. I remember thinking that I'd probably have to be taken away in an ambulance! Thankfully, that didn't happen. I'd suggest practicing your transitions this week, too. Good advice about the sleep, too.

Allison -- Again, not a running "guru" but here's what I'd look at. First, what are your goals? Are you training for a triathlon? If so, what distance? Are you training for a run? Again, what race/distance? Then, from there I'd look up a plan that gives you detailed training. There are some good ones here on BT.

Generally speaking for running, you do like Dineen said, long runs are at a slower conversational pace. You don't increase mileage by more than 10% each week,  do that for 2 weeks, then drop back down 10%, the repeat the cycle. The good plans figure all that out for you. One run is usually a tempo or faster run, with 10 minutes warmup, 10-20 minutes faster pace, 10 minute cool down. Again, depends on your fitness level. Do not attempt to do tempo runs until you can run a few miles at a time continously to prevent injury. The third run workout is usually some kind of track workout or intervals on the treadmill or early in training, sometimes hill repeats. It depends on your goals with the running. I've also read not to do "junk" miles. Meaning to always have a purpose with each run.

There's a Macmillan running calculator that will give you your paces based on a race time.

http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm

Also, check out

http://www.runnersworld.com/channel/0,,s6-238-0-0-0,00.html

Runner's world has some great articles on running.

My DH told me on the way home from my marathon on Sunday how he doesn't understand that I never run as fast in training as I do in a race. My long runs are 1 minute per mile slower, but my interval training is way faster. That helps with the leg turnover and building a quicker cadence.

I hope that helps you somewhat. Please let me know. I'm sure Yanti would have words of wisdoml. :-)

Sorry about your ankle, Emily. Might want to consider, just consider, staying off it completely and not walking the 5K...I'm just saying....

Saw this quote this morning and thought it was interesting:

"Why should I practice running slow? I already know how to run slow. I want to learn to run fast. Everyone said: 'You are a fool!' But when I first won the European Championship, they said: 'You are a genius!'"

Emil Zatopek on interval training. He won the 5000, 10,000, and the marathon at the 1952 Olympics