Athena/ Clydesdale Official Mentor Group (Page 20)

always good to have another member join the team!

I'm also hoping to get a trainer for the winter (although I think a new bike is in order first, going to bike show Oct 13th).

Tried to behave over the weekend but friday night was definitely not productive (a lot of fun though and caught up with some people I haven't seen in far too long). I did get in a nice open water swim on sunday though. Monday did walk/run of 5.37km in 46:59 for average speed of 6.85km/h, middle km was 9.7km/h so run seems to be coming along. Tuesday was scheduled to be a swim day but the pool was closed so I did 1:20 on the stationary bike. Tonight will hopefully be a group run.

Looks like I might have a new (second hand) bike too! Will post some pics when I get a chance.

Wow fly, just wow. Not much I can do from over here, but wish you luck, and let you know I am (in the american sense of the word, it means something MUCH different over here) rooting for you.

I'm venting, fair warning.

Well today was my 100 rpm one hour ride, and I could not stay at 100 rpm for very long. I was around 90 rpm allot of the time moving to high nineties a few 100's. So thats not to bad cause I'm still moving. Then bam my seat folds up on the left side, it freaken broke could not believe it. I finally ordered bike shorts cause my bum hurt so bad on my last long ride. So I have bike shorts and no seat.

I guess I will go down to the local bike shop and see what kind of seats they have, and hopefully they have a program. Always liked Adamo, and Cobb. I will be touching base with both of those companies. If anyone has any other ideas on seats please let me know.

So now I am now known as "YETI SEAT BREAKER!!!!".

Hello is there anybody out there!!!

I walk jogged for 1 hour and 14 minutes today. I hope I finally broke the 4 mile mark.

Hope everybody has a great day!!!

in the olympics women mountain bike one of them lost a seat on the last lap, riding without one definitely doesn't look like fun.

1:14 is definitely a solid outing

Did a group run on wednesday, wow did it beat me up, the guys I went out with last week weren't there so my gf and I went with a different group. They were doing the "short course" for that weeks run, it was still~8km though! Oh and did I mention that km 7 is basically a giant hill. It totally creamed me and has me scared about the 10k I'm supposed to do on sunday, but at least that course is flat.

Yesterday I was a bit sore from the run but went for a swim, wasn't a great outing but it felt really good to log another workout. Today and tomorrow is rest/taper before the 10k on sunday that will surely destroy me...

With running being my weakest discipline (thanks, in part, to the extra weight that makes me an Athena) I began the "run lots, mostly easy, sometimes hard" approach to running, largely thanks to Fisherman76's post in the main forum.  It really feels weird running for short little distances and at a slower than usual pace, but I will put faith in the system and keep at it.  I did 3 short runs this week so far, and may do a long run Sunday.  Any other C/A use this method?

Awesome!  How far did you guys go?  I met someone last week who lives in my area and does a lot of group rides.  I'm hoping to get on some next year with them once I can keep up.

good luck!!, I have a 10k race tomorrow, my legs still feel a bit sore from wednesday's group run... oh well. Anybody else racing this weekend?

Amazing day. First showed up at a mates on my OLD bike, and he said it was a bit dated, and too small. He then pulled out an immaculate looking merida, fitted it up and said here use this today. Then we met the other guys, one of which is an ex pro racer (now in his 70's), who went over the rules (last rider picks turn around, no one sits at the back alone, everyone helps the slowest/noob).

Learnt lots, did about 30km (my longest ride), went faster, and the bike was MUCH more comfortable, like so much more. End of the ride the guy says "keep it for now, ride it a bit, if you like it it is yours for $300".

Basically wins all around

Can't wait to hear how everyone's events went this weekend.

jonD, great running!  I'm still doing a "fast walk", but I did break that 1h mark as you predicted.

melbo, I am about to try incorporating something similar to my training.  I have been letting gravity "assist" me on the downhill portions of my walk route.  This week I'm hoping to start adding portions of "fast walking" on the uphill portions too.  The course I am currently using is either uphill or downhill, except for a small 300 yard portion between the two hills.  Rather than use a watch to time it, I am planning to trot to one telephone pole and then walk to the next four, trot one, walk four, repeat as needed or capable.

scott, good on ya!  I have been afraid to try a group ride because I KNOW I'll be dropped.  I won't try one until I can maintain at least a 15 mph average for a one hour ride.

Daughter and grandson were in for their "annual" visit last week.  That totally destroyed my training schedule.  So-o-o, I decided to make it a "rest week" and go back fresh on Monday.

Our Weight Watchers club had a 5k walk yesterday that my wife and I attended, so it hasn't been a complete wash.  She did much better this time, finishing in 1h 5m, and only about 8m behind the lead pack.  I'm really proud of her.  For my part, I guess you could say it was a long duration, low intensity workout.

Total fail today for my morning swim.  Got the wetsuit in a few days ago, it's been sitting in the living room, taunting me, telling me to go swim, so 6am this morning I drove to the beach and went for it.  Second I stepped out of the car I heard huge crashing waves, and around here we don't get that.  Turns out the big storm that blew through here yesterday is sitting out in the Atlantic somewhere just hanging out effing up my OWS.  Big swells, nasty rip current, it was brutal.  I went in for about 5 minutes just to at least get the wetsuit wet and I'm glad I didn't push it because there wasn't another soul on the beach to see me get swept out to sea.  I'll try again next week.

Got home and went for an angry bike ride instead.  Put a few extra miles on the route, all went well, then when I was walking the bike in I noticed the back had a flat.  Fun stuff.  Probably able to patch it so I don't need to replace the tube, but we'll see.  All in all, some kind of day.  At least the Pats are winning.

JonD tough day... sounds like the bike ride went well other than the flat. Hopefully you have better luck next week.

Scott glad to hear the group ride went well, that sounds awesome.

Had my 10k today: logistics made the start a little more difficult than I was hoping for, have about a 15 minute walk to the subway, then we got there before first train left (I didn't realize sunday schedule was so different), waited for a while and because of construction had to get off one stop early so had 20 minute walk to ferry and then after ferry another 10 minute walk to the start. Definitely counts as a warm up in my books.

First couple of km were feeling really good, then suddenly just before 2k got really bad cramp in my left side, I've never cramped there before, I had to walk for a while and then ran for a bit and it came back. Basically the first 5k was a disaster. After that I started to feel better and on the second 5k ran the whole part except for ~500m at the aid station. Had to gut out the last km, but I really wanted to run it in. Final time was a 1:09:xx, spilts were ~37, ~33, so a pretty serious negative split.

Going to have to try and learn from the experience and figure out what caused the cramping because I really don't want that to happen again, overall I think I'm pretty satisfied with the run, but I am soooo (insert expletive) for IM...

Bike - 13.2 miles - 1h 2m 22s - 12.7 mph - AHR 148 - MHR 170(2x)

OH BABY!!  Finally got a full race distance ride, without having to walk ANY of the hills!  Although I did have to resort to the granny gear on the last two hills, including the BIG hill.  I am not thrilled with the amount of coasting/resting, but that should decrease with time.  Saw 170 on the HRM twice though.  Was breathing really hard, but no pain or dizziness.  I guess my MHR is higher than 166.

Now I have a baseline to measure subsequent workouts against.  Also, this was the first workout in months that I have had what I call "exercised induced asthma".  It's never been severe enough to see a doctor, so I don't know what it would really be called.  I used to have a really tough time getting my breathing back to normal after a really strenuous workout.  I'd spend maybe an hour or more coughing and trying to get back to breathing deep breaths normally.  The only time it happened was after really strenuous stuff, like running to body alarms or fighting inmates.  Only after strenuous exercise, thus "exercise induced asthma".  I don't recall having that happen since I started this triathlon training, so I know I was REALLY working it today.

Based upon this, I am predicting 1 hour for the bike leg of Blueman.  Still looks like 2h 30m is doable.

Superb!  Keep up the good work!  I'm sure the dog appreciates the walks, too!

Congrats on the solid ride, hill conquistador!!!  Yeah! Who cares if you used the granny gear; you got up the hill and the granny helped you save your legs.  It's what it's there for.  Maybe some day you won't want it or need it, but for now, use it.

Just wanted to add don't underestimate what the EIA is doing to your lungs while you are training and how it may be holding you back by not being able to breathe.  I, too, have EIA (also exacerbated by a few other factors), but I went to the doctor for it since I didn't like not being able to breathe and also people I ride with get freaked out by the wheezing!  Plus the coughing and irritation post-exercise just isn't fun.  So I now use an Albuterol inhaler before exercising and depending on other circumstances (just how hard I think I will be exerting myself, weather, allergens, etc) I also have another inhaler I use.

I was pretty happy yesterday with an 11 mile run (whoda thunk it? 11 miles? ME?)  on 4:1 intervals. Felt good after and fine today - a bit of soreness in quads, mainly, and of course I won't run today.  I have been working toward a half marathon that is on 30 September...and I'm thinking perhaps I should just go ahead and register. If I can do 11 miles 3 weeks out, I can probably do 13 miles on race day.I'm always worried about mucking things up by running too fast or too hard, though..

What do the Athenas and Clydes thinK? Register or wait until spring when faster/lighter to run a half mary?

11 miles, that's great!!  Ultimately the choice to race now or race later is up to you.  I know if you can do 11 now, you can do 13 at the end of the month.  Personally, I think I would do the Sept. 30 race as long as you feel you are ready, then do another in the spring to compare/contrast (as long as they are fairly similar with regard to elevation, temp., etc).

Congrats again on your milestone!

Definitely go for it.  If you're doing 11 now 13 won't be an issue.  I'm also throwing around the idea of a HM on the 30th.  I kind of tweaked my quad so I haven't been able to get the long runs in that I'd like, but I kind of want to push the distance to half.  I've spoke to some people that have trained for HM and said they never did a run over 11 miles before their first HM.

melbo, I have never seemed to have any problem during exertion, but you are obviously familiar with the after effects.  Perhaps I'll try to see my doctor.

calluna, as was said, only you can make that decision, but if you don't have any other races scheduled before next spring I would go for it.  Don't squeeze it in if it's going to interfere with prep for something else, imho.

jonD, I had never run anything over 8 miles when our battalion commander took us out for a drizzly October morning run down at Camp Lejeune.  When we finished my company CO asked me to ride it on the motorcycle to see how long it was.   You guessed it, we ran an entire HM, in battalion formation, and we only dropped 22 men (2 of whom were Navy Corpsmen).  I personally believe that if you've got the aerobic base in place it is more a matter of mental attitude than anything else.  At least, that's what I'm hoping for with Blueman.

Getting cold here in the mornings. Walked Jogged for an hour.

Hope everybody has a good training day!!

That's 100% absolutely what I believe, and it applies to everything.  If you have the base and the mental fortitude to know how and when to push your limits properly you can do anything.