RFP GROUP 2013 - CLOSED (Page 20)

I have spit in my goggles before but is using your tongue a requirement? haha.  

Also KTC - I would just register for the volunteering even if you are unsure.  Better to be safe than sorry and then if you find out a couple weeks before you are not gonna make it just e-mail the captain and let them know you won't make it so they can plan accordingly.

You need to look into Trainer Road! The workouts are awesome for $10/month and I even started buying some of the videos that go with it for like $7.99.  I road through he mountains of Spain last weekend with Juan, Carlos, and Enrique and it was fabulous until Carlos tried to break from the group (and I am being serious haha - They actually have breakaways in the mountains that kick your butt).

Seriously though I have never had better bike workouts since I started using it.

http://www.trainerroad.com/

Hey all. Sorry I've been MIA for a while. I had a work trip that took me to beautiful Ohio earlier this week.  I was able to get a 3-day pass to the local LA Fitness and planned to do some swimming but we didn't get to the hotel in time.

Adventures in travel training:

Since I couldn't swim I thought I would go for a quick interval run on the hotel treadmill.  Get started then about 3/4 mile into it my phone drops off the little platform thing and instead of going behind me it somehow bouced against the flow of the belt and perfectly slid into the motor body. So I stop and try to reach it with my gorilla hands and of course I hit it just right to where it falls further back and out of reach. I then went to tell the desk clerk and her first comment was "oh, did the treadmill turn off on you?" When I told her what happened she got somebody with a screwdriver to get it out for me. By this time dinner was approaching so I figured I would do a 5k race pace and crank up the speed. About 1/4 mile into it the treadmill cut off on me. NOW I know why she asked that question! I took the hint and quit for the day.

The next morning I went to the gym to swim. Since the night before I splurged at dinner I was going to do a swim/run brick. I walk in to the gym and realize I forgot my goggles. They didn't have any to sell me so I went back to the hotel and back to the gym. Then I go in to the locker room looking for a towel. NONE. Sheesh. Scratched the swim plan and did a nice 10 mile 3 mile brick on the stationary bike/treadmill.

Glad to be back home where my workouts can be planned a little better! Sorry for the long post, but hopefully it made you chuckle.

Have a great evening!

Tim - Great Video but I don't think that I will practice that.

During my last swim I was doing 250 yard intervals and at times I did find myself struggling through some of it and I had to go back to the 2-stroke breathing style. It's great that you bring this up because now I feel like what's happening to me during this learning experience is normal. I will keep practicing with it. Thanks for your input. 

KC - Your right, I shouldn't hold my breath when my face is in the water.This is something I have to keep working on.

Tim - lol!! I'm afraid your strategies of last minute registration would send my anxiety through the roof, haha, I'm such a "get there early and cover every contingent just in case" kinda person, haha. But giving the race is on a Sunday, I will leave Thursday, its only a 90 min drive from home so that's not bad. I'm sure my mum will get my HR elevated the morning of the race by nagging me the whole way about what I need to do, not do, eat, not eat, etc. haha, bless her soul!

Deb - hope the home front and school classes calm down soon for you so you can get some training done. still early days yet and I am completely confident you will smash your Ironman!! I'm still heaps excited for you!!

Pierce - sounds like you had a Murphy weekend where everything that could go wrong went wrong! lol! Take heart, if you get them out of the way now it will be smooth sailing come triathlon time!

KC - How did your curling competition go???

I started a new core workout today. I've always been pretty strong with free weights as I've done strength work most of my life, but specific core exercises are a completely different kettle of fish because I have zero balance and coordination! I have a feeling it is going to be really useful to strengthen my legs and ankles for running and my upper body for swimming. I am hoping to do one session every week, that along with my weights session and my PT sessions I should be getting stronger in no time!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Good Morning Team.

Simone - curling was a blast as always - but we lost.

Sign up for IM LP Vol positions starts this morning at 10 am and I am ready - wish me luck.

KC

Aside from hockey, curling is really the only winter Olympic sport I really have any interest in.  That gets intense. 

Here's a group question for you all.

What is your stretching routine?

Before a workout, after, both? Do you follow the same routine/stretches?

I seem to be kind of hit and miss with consistency and looking for some pointers, thanks.

Hey Team.

Success - all signed up to volunteer for IM LP. I will be in the Mens transtion tent from 6:30-11:30.

Can't wait.

KC

Good Morning Pierce.

I do most of my stretching after the workout and simply do some warm up, dynamic stretching before I start anything. I got lazy these past couple of months and it was probably because my workouts were hit and miss but as of Monday I will get back on a regular routine.

I do a lot of quad, hamstring,calf and a whole lot of IT band stretching since I have had some IT band issues. I also have a hip strengthening and stretching routine I try to do about twice a week.

KC

I warm up zip for running or cycling or swimming just start slow until things start to feel good.  Stretch after, hit the foam roller.  I have a trigger point grid... Saved my marathon this past year.  

For strength training if it is a heavy leg day ill get on a bike or run until i start to sweat.  Also use the rowing machine if it is more upper body related.  Again till get warm.  Through stretching after.  

If you are just getting back into fitness or feeling tight I would do two of the following things.  

1. Foam roller absolutely positively.  Kind of weird to use, can be uncomfortable but works wonders. 

2. Provided you have the spare time... If you are kind of tight hit up a yoga class or two a week.  Especially if you aren't doing any strength training.  Will help with core, posture it is totally non competitive, not at all abrasive and one of the best stress relievers / battery rechargers you can find.  It is a pretty awesome escape from daily crap.  

Gil - In my honest opinion the three stroke breath is over rated haha.  I just have never felt comfortable doing it.  I try to work it in to every workout but it just never clicks with me.  To avoid injury I really focus on my rotation and make sure that I am rotating as much on my left as on my right.  I can swim just as easily with the two stroke on my left as well which I feel helps me more than the 3 stroke.  It is all personal preference and how much time you wanna invest and what you are comfortable with.  Keep up the good work! 

Before 2009 I stretched before and after.  then I had major IT band issues which I believed came from stretching cold during my 2009 Chicago Marathon training.  Since then I do what AJ does and just start out slow. No stretching before.  Depending on how tight I feel and how hard the workout was and I will do some light stretching after the workout.  If I start to feel too tight I will use the Trigger Point Roller.

Seems to work as I did a 3/4 splits at my show last weekend haha  I scared myself. More because I have put on 10 lbs and the jeans were a little tight and thought they were gonna explode haha.

KC - I forgot to tell you one of my good friends from college works with a guy - David Brown from Madison, WI who does Ironman's and is also the USA Curling champion or something.  Do you know him?

I think you made the right decision registering and hopefully you can get up there to register!

Nice work Troy!  What are you using to log your workouts?  I would be curious to see what you got going on and maybe give me a little motivation to get my butt in gear.  Keep it up.

I don't really stretch either.  Just warm up pace for SBR for 5-10 mins before picking up the pace. 

And I have heard that bilateral breathing is not completely necessary from some swim coaches.  (Although I do think you should at least practice it occasionally for muscle balance.)  Most of my tris were ocean swims yet I still do every 2 stroke breathing on right side.  A good compromise if the every 3 stroke is too much is to do every 2 stroke/every 3 stroke/every 2 stroke/every 3 stroke.  You get into a good rhythm eventually...

KTC - nice work on the volunteer sign up... with IMOZ I didn't get a choice, it just asked for what day and what hours, so I just ticked race day/all day for mine... I'd love to get in the transition tent, but either way as long as I see some action and I am able to encourage competitors I'll be happy. I'm gunna take my bike so I can run and ride the course after it's all over.

KC - congrats on your volunteer sign up too and glad you had fun at the curling comp, bummer about the loss.

So what's everyone got planned for the weekend?

I'll probably do a long bike on Sunday, today I'm going to take it easy, might just go for a long walk and catch up on some reading, I have bought so many triathlon books of late it isn't funny!