Baowolf's Mentor Group - Sorry Closed. (Page 20)

Sounds like everyone is beginning their training. Hope everyone stays healthy and meets their goals.

Last night I did my usual Monday workout - swim then run for 30 mins. I even remembered to get my crunches in. Then, I stretched and thought why don't I do some planks. So i did 2 minutes worth and didn't really feel too strained. Last night and this morning are different tho. I think those planks hit some muscle groups that haven't had much attention lately. My hip flexers in particular are very tired which is probably good. I've noticed they get tired when I really focus on my running form for my longer runs. Maybe I need to join the plank group too! Have a great day everyone!

Fred we looking at 2013 or 2014.  It is hard for me to figure out your plan without doing more math than I have time for at the moment.  A weekly Long, total weekly are really good numbers and frequency of workouts per week.  So total hours is harder.  I am glad that I am not racing that schedule.  You certainly are not going to get an A race HIM followed by an A race Marathon 2 weeks later.  You can complete a marathon 2 weeks later, but it will be a flat one.  And it will be really hard to be running 20 mile runs while being bike focused for  HIMs.  I can do run 5 days a week and bike 4 days a week, but my runs tend to top out at 16-17 miles.  With that many bigger races it is going to be tough to improve throughout the year.  You will have a lot of taper recovery going on.  For HIMs ideally you will be running a long of 15-16 miles with total weeking run miles of 40.  Biking you ideally want your long bikes 65-75 with a weekly total of 150 to 200 (if bike focused) and swim 2-3x with a long of 2500-3000 and weekly swim of 5000-7000.  That will get you faster.  You can complete HIMs on much less than that, but that will let you run a HIM at a little under LT for the entire race (5-7 beats).  Note these are build to numbers.  I would hit these numbers on the 3 peak weeks prior to taper.  When in shape 13 miles is a comfortable long distance for maintaining for me. 

So the shoulder is coming along.  Not 100%, but coming along.  In 2 weeks I have gone from painful to raise it laterally at my side with no weight to 45 degrese to going 90 with 3 pounds without pain.  I have been stretching 1-2 x daily and weights 1x per day.  The leg has gotten nearly 2 full weaks of rest, with daily stretching 2x and started strength training on it last night.  We see how things go this weekend to see if I can get the legs going again.  Hopefully I am currently the most out of shape person in the group 8).  Building up from almost no fitness is an interesting experience.  What used to be a recovery workout is a long workout.  Freestyle is probably another 2-6 weeks out. 

Hello all!  I'm still here and have been lurking for the last week or so.  Great to see everyone's progress and it seems things are in full swing.  Please keep posting you all inspire me!

As for me I'm keeping with my training (except today where I choose to stay in bed instead of facing the -2 degree weather) but have gone to see a physical therapist for my calves.  As it turns out, I still have a tear in my right calf.  He has given me some streching exercises and he is in the process of rebuilding my stride.  I'm really sore and slow today but will head to the dreadmill tonight to work on what he's laid out for me thus far.

All that being said I had an AWESOME weekend with my 49ers making a return to the Super Bowl!  Have a great week everyone!

Ouch!! You might have mentioned it on here before, but, how did you tear your calf muscle? Hoping it's a quick recovery. 

Mike/Brian: I hope your hammy and calf get better soon!  I hate hearing about injuries

Steve: I'm glad the shoulder is getting better!

The last day and a half hasn't been a good one for me.  I lost my uncle (who is also my Godfather) on Saturday night but didn't find out about it until Monday because of work.  My little hoopsters had a big game and unfortunately, town politics were at its finest...so we ended up on the losing end.  My normal patience for this nonsense wasn't there and it was an ugly game with ugly moments   I hate it so much that adults get in the way of kids being kids!  I was so proud of my little guys though!  They were down 15 points and came roaring back but we lost by 3.  Its hard to get 8-10 year olds to give that kind of effort when they see a big deficit like that.  I have to make sure I tell them how proud I was of them before our game on Thursday.  Tonight, I'll go to the wake and get those emotions out of me so I don't have such a short fuse for town nonsense on Thursday!

I'm not sure how much working out I'm going to get in this week because I have to work a double shift and a day on my usual day off.  However, the good news is that I dropped 2.5lbs this week.  Now, I've finally lost all of my holiday weight and its time to get my body lighter and stronger!

Today, I started week 3 of the 0-1650 program.  I didn't write down my workout or bring my watch to track my exact time so I had to guess at my numbers.  I ended up doing an extra 100 yards because of it!  I have to say that I'm pretty happy with my swim cardio.  The program had me do 400Y, 200y, then 4x100, 4x50, and I added in the 4x25 just because.  I've never swam 400Y freestyle before (using BS I have) so this was a milestone day.  I never felt winded...but my legs were getting tired; however, I never stopped AND I got my legs back during my 6-12sec breaks.  I've always measured a portion of my cardio on how fast I can recover and I was pleased with that.

Hope everyone is having a good day!

Jay, sorry to hear about your loss, politics, double shift.. sometimes life just happens. Glad you are able to keep on with things and getting it done.  If your legs get too smoked swiming you can kick less and use your arms/body rotation as that is most of your propulsion.

 Brian, that sounds nasty.  Most of us have a pretty good drive to set goals and obtain them or we wouldn't be on BT etc.  What is often harder is letting go of a goal due to health issues.  A double calf pull is a very good reason to just say um, I'm done for today.  I had to drop out of two races last season, including my A race at the HITS Championships.  I dropped out before they started because I had muscle issues that would not have allowed me to finish or compete or woudl have made the issues worse.  Your health trumps any particular race.  People in the IM distance sometimes ignore their body telling them that something is realy wrong. I hope you guys will learn to make good decisions about what your body can and can't do in any given moment in time.  We are not going to win $100,000 for our race performance or whatever.  This a hobby, is fun.  Your health comes first and there will be more races.  But it is reallllly hard to let go of a particular race, especially when you are in it.  When the wheel the guy off the football field to go get x-rayed, he is not quitting, he is just done for the day.  Pulled muscles can take 2 months to heal or they can take 6-9 months to heal depending on what you do to them when in recovery.  Wishing can not make you heal faster, pushing things too hard too soon also won't do that.  Follow your Doc's advice, no hills or intensity for you for a long time.  Probably just walking for 4-6 weeks I would imagine before you start to rebuild with a walk/jog program.

I was thinking about my earlier post about ideal HIM training.  If this is a first HIM you are very unlikley to be able to hit those numbers.  So at a minimum, long run 11 miles, long bike 45 miles long swim 2000 yards would be the very least that I would feel comfortable attempting a HIM and then I would have to pace things back a lot.  So if you are between those two you are probably fine.  The closer to the bottom the slower you have to go, the closer to the top the faster you can go.  If you don't get your calories and fluids figured out.... you will go slow at the end, bonking is not fun or healthy.   Take care guys, this is a lifestyle, a 5, 10, 20 year event.  One day, week, month or race is not going to make or break the long course of being active and fit.  It may however mean lots of recovery time. 

Thanks for the thoughts / ideas, Steve.  That is generally the direction I'm going.  I have done speedwork in the past when my miles/week are higher (20+), but just 2-3 miles of intervals for the most part and maybe only every other week (is that enough?).  I hadn't done any weights for the last 3 years, so am going to give that a try through mid-March or so and then bring back the intervals (and maybe hills too).  Right now, during my overall build/lose weight stage, everything hurts, so no early feedback on it :-)

Nutrition/Hydration, etc.  In an OLY, I will drink one water bottle of half G2 and half water (and another water only plus a good swig in transitions).  I'm not a gu / gel fan, but maybe I need to reconsider.  I've felt hydration was my bigger challenge in the past (darn hot/humid in Virginia during the summer and I lose a bunch of water).  But upon reflection and reading, I think I may need a bit more calories as well (time around 2:50 in hilly races here).  I do think endurance strength is part of it as well and then I have my back issues which always affect my run in an OLY or longer race (no problem on a run only race - may need to explore bike fit as well, but I've always had lower back issues).  So working on those two in the off season as well.  Interestingly enough, my trainer friend said to lay off the crunches b/c of the back or I would have joined in the fun. Flapping collapsed abs - sounds like me, Pam!

Anyway, good spin class today plus 2.5 run.  Building the base!  Feeling ready for a day off at least for my legs.  Maybe just a swim tomorrow.

Have a good one everybody and thanks to all for the thoughts and encouragement,

Stu

Thanks for the sentiments Steve!  I did decrease the amount that I use my legs as I got tired but I feel like I'm a little lower in the water which makes everything less smooth.  I'm assuming that's a natural event that happens as you fatigue during a swim....if not, maybe I need to focus on technique when I get tired.  I have no doubt that a wetsuit would help with this issue as well.

Stu, have you ever thought about coconut water for hydration?  I didn't use it until last years Boston Marathon and I survived one of the hottest race days ever without any dehydration. 

Stu, you are looking at maybe 200-250 calories on the bike and 100 calories on the run to support a solid performance.  Water intake varies a lot with temperature.  I can go on a 3 hour bike ride and use maybe 30 oz of water if it is 50 ish. When it is 100F + I am using 80 to 100 oz.  On the run, even in hot temps I usualy only take in 3-4 oz of water per mile, the rest goes over my head.    

Jay, you should be as balanced if you are kicking soft or hard.  Try swiming a few laps with no kick at all, without a pull bouy and see how that feels.  I am similar in time with no kick as with a kick (but my kick sucks).  You can really tire yourself out with a kick that is too strong. 

Anthony - good for you on the planks!  I think Pam is in a plank challenge, so maybe you can join her.

Stu - nice workouts...enough to make the legs need a rest...sounds like you're getting back in the grove.  I can see where situps would not be advisable with a back issue.  Honestly, once they go past 60 a day or so, I'm not sure how healthy they will be if not balanced by other things.  But getting down on the floor daily to do them is a good thing for me since it leads to getting in some other maintenance type work on at least some of them.

Brian - I read your race report.  What a journey you are on! I'm so sorry about your mom.  I can definitely see why you wanted to finish.  Hopefully your calves will respond well to the rehab you are/have been doing.  I never thought of pulls happening right out of the water.

Jay - sorry to hear about your uncle's passing.  I just wanted to applaud what you are doing for those boys on your team.  The life lessons you are teaching them transcend the games AND the politics.  On your swim, this may have already been mentioned, but are you doing any balance drills?  Can't remember if you started with total immersion videos, but thinking of pushing your chest down in the water....and swimming downhill helped me.  Congrats on being down the 2.5 lbs!  Bet that feels good.  I'm still hovering around 128...I think.  My scale is very flaky and last week weighed me 2 lbs different on two successive tries.  Jeans felt looser this week, so I guess I'll go by that for now.

Mike - ouch on the piriformis!  ART has really helped me. I have glute med and IT band issues, and have to go back in for a "tune up" once in a while. 

Steve - nice progress on your shoulder, and very good word on starting from where you are.  It's so easy to try to jump back in where you remember you were, or where you would like to be.  There really aren't any training plans for these things, and the timetable is individual. 

I think a lot about training vs. overall health.  Sometimes question if the whole BQ by 50 goal is really for the best for me health wise, but bottom line is I WANT to do it so it keeps me engaged in the process.  I do think it likely I'll top out at the OLY distance for tri's...have a lot of room to grow to do better at that, and just feels about right in terms of balancing everything.

Half mile intervals went pretty well yesterday (7:51, 7:56, 7:56, 7:50, 8:08, 7:50) with HR in the low 180's.  Walking part of the 0.25 recoveries though...is that OK?  Was definitely DONE though.  Fell asleep about 8:30 last night.  We had an earthquake that could be felt here around 10:15, and I missed it!   

Carol, yes you can walk the .25 between 800 repeats.  Nice times there, those are on track for a BQ time for you... (4:00:00).  Nice job picking it back up after the one non 7:xx one.  When I plug in your HM race of 1:55:xx from last year to the McMillans paces that puts you at a 4:02:00 marathon.  So really we only need to pick up 10 seconds off your pace and then generalize it to your overal marathon run pace.  This is really duable in the range you are currently running.  I would stay with the 800 repeats for now until you get to 10 of them under 8:00.  Then you can make your first repeat 1 mile and the rest 800s, then the first 2 one mile... etc.  A 4 hour marathon is completely within your reach.   

There is a difference between working towards a high goal and completing a race when you have pulled muscles, broken bones or are dangeriously dehydrated or hypothermic.  That was the comparison I was shooting for. 

Mike and you will crush your HIM with those numbers 8).

Thats the idea, Steve -- I have a score to settle

Done for today with a 30 min bike.  Funny to think I did as much S/B/R in 1 day as I probably did in total the 3 years preceeding getting off the couch in 2010.

Off to NYC for work the next 1.5 days. Keep up the good work everyone!!!

Hey all.  I've tried to catch up on the posts that I've missed but I'm sure I missed some pertitent info.  Seems like I have no extra time lately.  Got a great tempo run in tonight and I'm thrilled.  Have been getting on the bike trainer but after 30 min, I'm worn out.  Gotta build up.  I'm going to try to put a movie on next time and just spin; maybe I will be able to stay on it longer.

Jay, I'm so sorry about your loss.  Will be praying for you and your family.

Anthony, come join us on the plank a day challenge in Challenge Me Forum.  Some people are increasing the times but I'm just trying to work in multiple planks a day.  I've noticed a big difference and today I did some side planks with a "swimming motion".  Hurt so bad right now.

Big N, be careful with those torn muscles!

I am amazed at every body's swim speeds!

Carol, good luck in your HM this weekend.

I know I have more to say but TBH, I'm exhausted.  I'm trying to take my taper seriously and have been going to bed at ridiculously early hours.  Probably won't be posting for several days because of life, work, meetings, son's baseball, and a planned Girl's Night Out.  Also, thanks to all of you for your kind words re son making the baseball team.  He's excited and so are we.  We are such a big baseball family; son made me go find him a team when he was 4 y.o. and pretty much every year since then he has been on 2 to 4 teams per year - spring, all-stars, travel, and fall.  He loves it.

Thanks for the swim advice Steve and Carol.  I've never tried doing laps without kicking...that could be interesting!  I am a TI guy so I do try to warm up with skating 25y at a time before starting my workouts (but I have been slacking lately)  I don't feel like I kick hard at all...but I know it helps me remain more buoyant.  I'll try the swim downhill visual next time.  Currently, I'm using ice skating on top of the water and that's helped a lot. 

Today was my basketball day.  I had to work until about an hour ago so I played over 2 hours.  I'm not sure how this is going to translate when I do my half marys in the next two months.  I think and hope that basketball, swimming, and biking will help me get a solid time.  Last year, I did crossfit exclusively and ran a half mary sub 2.  Either way, my friend needs that time so I'll have to make it work.

Short post tonight...back to work for 7am tomorrow.  Hope you all have a good day tomorrow!

Thanks Steve.  Sounds like I am a bit short calories on the OLY which probably is contributing to my hitting the wall feeling on the run.  Probably need to do the powdered mix approach to get it right.

Carol, I hear your training vs. overall health question (though I'd probably phrase it at what point is increasing the training not providing the health benefit that I'm seeking b/c of either overtraining or feeling like I don't have time for other important things - seems to become a vs. when I go for things like marathons that are more extreme - otherwise they work together).  I too, came to the conclusion that OLYs were a nice balance and still provided lots of challenge (plus, since swimming is my relative strength, it has the best ratio of swim to b/r).  But I also know that my personality is such that I am motivated by new stimuli.  So, working toward the marathon was a motivating diversion :-)  Anyway, how cool would it be to BQ!!  Great motivating goal! Go go go!

Had a good swim yesterday of 2500 meters.  I'm dying later into each workout, which is good news - stroke is still too choppy, but it will get there.  We have a little snow on the ground here this morning.  Back to the weights / strength workout for me today. 

Stu

I did a continuous 1 hour swim this morning.I know there was a kind of challenge connected to it. How many laps in an hour?

I'd never be able to compete in something like that, too slow.. But I did do 3 sets of 800m freestyle. The last 800 I did intervals working on speed/cadence. I also did 600m combined kick board/breast stroke.

Hoping everyone is having a good training week.  

Mike, good news that the leg is feeling better.  YMMV, but I also try to do a bit of light strength work for mine. Stuff like standing on one foot and then moving my other leg forwards backwards and sideways while trying to stay as vertical as possible.  I also ran across this: http://hhrunningclub.tripod.com/webonmediacontents/MYRTLE%20ROUTINE%20.pdf.  Anyway, easy stuff to do in front of the TV, or after a run or trainer ride.  I too look forward to you getting revenge on that course! 

Pam, happy tapering to you!  Ha, I hear you on going to bed early.  Have fun with your son's baseball and that girls night out .

Jay, sounds like BBall is a really good thing for you (and your friend), so enjoy!  As Steve said, we're not getting paid for this stuff, so keeping the fun in it is so important in the long run.

Kate, I'll be right there with you when I get back to the pool.  Actually, you will be swimming circles around me!

Stu, nice swim progress!  You are so right on striking the right balance mentally as well as physically.  If I wanted the best diabetes control, I would run three miles a day every day at the same time and same pace, and eat exactly 45 g of cho each meal and same %'s of other macro nutrients, etc.  But I would die of boredom if I did that.  The bigger the goal, the bigger the peaks and valleys in training, the more the variables, and the harder it is to try to stay ahead of them.  So yes, somewhere is that middle ground...or range of middle ground for each of us.

Steve, I hear you on what you were saying re: reaching for goals vs. stopping due to injury.  One of the things I really appreciate about you and this group is the encouragement to set and hang onto big goals.  Hopefully I'm developing a bit more of the "don't give up" muscle as a result. 

Finally got my new shoes swapped out yesterday and did a 6.5 mi run in them.  Feeling pretty tired, but had trouble sleeping w/ achy legs and back and Katy the (spoiled rotten) dog trying to take over the bed.  We are supposed to hit 70's this afternoon, so hopefully recover and get caught up on work enough to get out in that later on.

Happy trainings, tapers, and rests to all!

Glad to do what I can Carol.  My brother is actually moving to Texas so you two will probably be neighbors... ya he didn't say which city.  I am hoping it is near IM Texas so I can do that one of these years.  I like my IM's hot.

Kate, swim is looking good, bike is getting there run..... yups that is your weak spot.  I like the higher run frequency, now to add 1/2 to 1 mile to your weekly runs and start building up that long run 9 miles this week?

So 2 weeks of no running, swimming or biking... new shoes at home and at work, first day back at it today to see how the knee goes (35F raining with ice on the roads from lastnight).  Will start with a 1 mile walk and probably a 15 mile easy pace bike ride on the drainer.  Reminder, wash your bike shorts reasonably often, salt, road dust, etc., means friction which means more discomfort that can lead towards sadle sores.  2-6 more weeks before I think about some tentative freestyle, but will get back into breaststroke pending the knee issure today.    

Great job, Kate - our first 1h swim in at 2800!!

Enjoy the taper, Pam - you've earned it.

Glad to hear you'll be starting back, Steve.  There's something especially sweet about restarting... usually followed by a giant sucking sound for me :-)  Hope all progresses well... patience!

5 miles on the treadmill for me today (actually 4 on treadmill one on indoor track).  The weather better improve as I don't want my long runs indoors... ugggh!

Stu

Kate - Nice work on 1 hr and consistent training

Stu - Nice run and swim. 

Steve - Believe me I know the feeling of coming back from injuries. I am sure you will be back in not time.

I am headed for an hour run as soon as I get the kiddos to bed. 

Here is my "non-dungeon" we just finished up last week. Converted a guest bedroom to our work out room. Loving it so far. I know there are nights that the extra 5 minutes of dragging the bike in would put me over the edge of not getting on it.

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