Gray Guys/Girls Maturing Triathlete - Always OPEN (Page 20)

Steve - congrats on your race!  Sounds like everything went really well for you.  

Good luck with your testing this weekend.  I just recently did the swim test myself (FTP test was done in Feb and run test was a couple weeks ago).  Having those numbers to work with has helped me when planning my weekly workouts - it keeps me from taking things too easily when I have numbers/paces to strive for.  

I had the day off work and since it's the only day this week without rain (we actually had sunshine all day !), I took advantage of it.  I had a swim and trainer ride on the schedule so I decided to add a run also and do a sort of race simulation day.  The swim was a little long, the ride was right on target, the run was a little short and my "transitions" were 1.5-2 hrs each but it still gave me an idea of how I'll feel for the race in May - and what I still need to work on.   

Tomorrow is a fairly easy day.  The tri club is doing a "race" in the morning with a couple of other local clubs/teams and we'll probably get wet but it's just for fun.  I may do an easy recovery ride in the afternoon - we'll see how the day goes.  Sunday is a trip to the winery for Easter brunch with my husband.

Have a good weekend all!
Janet

Natalie,

Great work on the swim.  I really feels great when you have those type of days.  I am jealous that you have a running group.  I had one from 2008-2010 but then was moved with a job transfer to a small rural town and haven't had a running group since then.  I still keep up with some of the people in my group from 2008-2010 and wish I were still running in their group. That group did Yoga and Interval training every Tuesday, had on optional group run on Tuesdays that wasn't structured, and a long run on Saturdays that was the main focus of the group.

This we I are glad to report that I am down 1 pound.  The training time was 518 minutes.

For Easter my family, as well as my parents, crashed my brothers home 3-1/2 hours away from us.  He wasn't there.  His left is wife and family home alone while to travels to Georgia to do the Georgia Death Race so we kept them company for the holiday.    70.3 miles being done mostly on the bike is plenty for me, but for the Georgia Death Race they do more than that all trail running with something like 2,000 feet elevation gain and loss.   There was a 24 hour cut off time and it looks like nearly all of the finishers come in between the 20 hour and 24 hour mark. I think that race has something like a 50% drop out race, so that fact that my brother finished is pretty impressive.  He did two full Ironman races in 2002 and tried to get me into Triathlons and Marathons.  I though he was crazy and had no interest in doing either at the time I eventually came around and have done some Marathons and half Ironmans, but think his 50-100 mile train run are crazy and have warmed yet warmed up to the idea of running for 24 hours straight. 

Has anyone in this group done any 50-100 mile runs?  If so please share.  I would like to know what gets to that point and what you feel about those evens after having done them.  

Hi all,

I apologize for being "away" for a couple days - my wife and I took a leisurely drive across the country to get to Southern California for Ironman Oceanside 70.3.  Truth is, it wasn't very leisurely - Indianapolis to Gallup, NM in 26-hours then Gallup to So. Calif. in 9 more hours.  By the time we got to CA I was about DONE with the car - but we got to our son's house in time for Easter dinner so mission accomplished.  The race is next weekend.  I know a couple people racing plus the pro field is incredible so should be a good race all around.

I didn't bring a scale with me so that will have to wait.  Workouts I had 327 total minutes (down from what it's been, I know).

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter.

Sorry I'm a little late here - coworker is out sick so I'm doing double duty this week.

No weight lost
Swim - 1:31
Bike - 3:59
Run - 1:17
Yoga - :45

Janet

Curtis - I've done two 25k's (16ish miles) but haven't done a 50 or 100 miler.  I know a lot of people who have (mostly in my trail running group).  My goal was originally to do a 50k this fall and potentially work my way up to attempting a 50 miler in the next few years.  Unfortunately my knee/hip had different ideas .  I still want to do the 50k but longer distances are probably not going to happen.  I loved the 25k's that I did, mostly because I love running trails.  Being out running through the woods makes me feel like a kid again.  I think for a lot of runners the motivation is similar to doing a full IM for triathletes - it's proving to yourself that you can do it, seeing how tough you are and how much you can handle.  

Janet

I was considering doing a 25K in February with my brother.  He would have done the 50K but I would have been okay waiting around for him to finish after I got done.

The Percheron is ba-a--a-ck!  They are bigger than a Clydesdale, and so am I.

It's been a string of tough years.  It seems like every year it was an injury or surgery that ruined my season.  But I've got the go-ahead from my doctor and I am re-entering the ring.  Old Marines just don't know how (when) to quit.

Brief Bio:   I am a 59 yr old retired law enforcement officer who worked 23 years of maximum security prisons.  Retired in 2008 and started substitute teaching for golf money.  Packed on pounds and started walking daily.  Then the DW wanted to go along, but she couldn't go fast enough or long enough.  So after she left for work I'd go out and walk again.  After a few weeks I decided to ride my bike for a change of pace.  A few weeks later I figured, "What the heck, I have a membership at the Y.  Let's add swimming for variety."  That year I dropped 55 pounds and completed two sprints.  I am sorry to say that in the string of misfortunes I gained it all back, plus some.  So here we go again.  Another motivator for me is that I have joined the 100 Mile Swim Club at my YMCA.  I swam competitively in high school and college, rather enjoy riding bicycle even if I'm not very fast.  But I absolutely hate to run.  Probably not a problem anymore, since my doc says not to.  But I see race-walkers in my age group who are turning in times as good as any I had running in the Corps.  Actually, if I could get my walking times to about a 13:30-14:00 minute mile I would be happy.

I'm a Silver Gold member (it's a small price to pay for this environment) and am starting the Couch-to-Sprint  a custom plan this week the first week of March.  I hope to re-establish the Clydesdale/Athena forum/mentor group, so if anybody wants to swing over there and join us now and then that would be great. The goal for this year is to finally do the local triathlon, The Lumberjack Triathlon in Duboistown, PA.  It's a sprint, (they have added an Olympic distance this year too) and it happens to run right past my house.

My training log is always public, so feel free to stop by, congratulate, cajole, or kick me in the pants if you think I need it.

Nowadays I keep my mind busy teaching high school Science.  My classes include Life Science(7th), Biology(9th), Anatomy(11th, Environmental(12th), APBiology(11th & 12th), and STEM (10th, 11th, & 12th).  Plus I coach our Academic Decathlon team.  I've seen the effects of "use or lose it" on my body and do not want that to happen to my mind.

There is a saying in the Marine Corps, actually there are a whole bunch of them, but this one just returned to my memory this week as I was updating my training log.

"Failing to plan is planning to fail."

Perhaps I'm singing to the choir but the month of March was a revelation to me.  In the past, my training has consisted of whatever I felt like doing that day, going hard because i refused to go home, and no pain meant no gain.  Well, I can tell you now that is completely the wrong way for an old gray Percheron to train.  (Percheron's actually do come in a lovely dappled grey too.  I'm going to have it screen printed on my race kit.)

Shortly after returning to the fold I got a Silver membership so I could print off the Couch-to-Sprint plan.  But that plan only lasted 12 weeks and frankly seemed a little ambitious for a cardiac rehab program.  So I upgraded to a Gold membership and developed a custom plan using the Plan Creator thingie.

I have to tell you folks, that is definitely the way to go, a real plan.  First of all, I am already finding that I don't dread workouts anymore.  Second, I do what is scheduled, which tends to reign in that 21 yr old jarhead in the back of my mind who is always telling me  "harder, harder'.  And finally, I decided that I would go for the two week build with a third week for recovery.  I feel so much better after training now.  Why did it take me so long to realize the error of my ways?

Back a few years ago the Clydesdale/Athena group had a weekly weigh-in that most of us went along with and I have noted something similar within this group.  Is there an "official" weigh-in day, is it a whenever you think of it thing, or is it a once-a-week-at-your-convenience kind of thing.  I've never been bashful about my weight, and I hope to have good news to report as my training continues.

I had the "end of the marking period" crunch, last minute homeworks being turned in and graded, lots of religious activities (Catholic school), and of course, Easter break.  I was a little busy.

BUT, I did not let that stop me from squeezing my workouts.  I finished March exactly on pace.  I had never followed a plan before and the idea of a "recovery week" was total anathema to a hard charging Marine, even an old one.  But I think I could learn to appreciate those weeks.

For all of March I only got to get my bike out for two real road rides.  Can somebody explain something to me?  How is it possible, on an out and back course, to have to work against a headwind BOTH ways!?

Been there, done that !  There's a nice 31 mile round trip course that I like to do in the spring and summer here that is very flat farmland near the Missouri river.  It's always windy out there.  Most days though you get a tailwind on the way out and a nice headwind on the way back.  Occasionally though, it's headwinds both ways.  I think it's because it so near the river and the wind direction changes so much.  I haven't been out there yet this year (winter just does not seem to want to let go here) but hopefully soon - I miss riding outside.  

Janet

Steve - Hope your knee is calming down and you're getting back to normal quickly.

Mike - Welcome to the group.  I have to say that we have the same wind issues here.  I always head out into the wind hoping for a tailwind on the return but it sure doesn't happen very often.

Nathalie - Nice to hear from you.  I'm pleased to say we have no ice on our local lakes but they won't be warm enough to swim until mid-June.  Still not quite warm enough to ride outside yet either.

Looking forward to a good swim tomorrow.

Ya...I I think I have heard several people say it was the "Logical" next step.  If you start out not sure If you can run a full mile without walking and three months later find yourself able to complete an entire 5K without walking you have proved to yourself that if you put you mind to something you can do it.  For some the "logical" way to continue on the path of self improvement is to keep running and to try to do a full 10K without walking the next time out.  Other see the "Logical" next step to keep training and to try to do a 5K faster than the first one.  Despite everyone asking my brother and I our whole lives if we are twins and saying we are exactly alike we are actually polar opposites.  My brother is the guy that said I may it through a 5K let's try to see if I can make it though a 10K.  OR more recently..."I have made it through 50 milers lets see if I can make it though a 100 miler."  I am the guy that says okay I got through a 5K without walking lets see if I can do it faster the next time.  :-)

We had said at the start of the challenge that we would run through April 1st.  As of this most recent points, Lutzman (Steve L.) is the winner.  Congrats Steve!  I'll get hold of you privately and get your address so I can send the mug.

The question I now have for everyone - should we continue to run the challenge for motivation?  Let me know.

Sorry for being so late getting this posted!  Like I said, I've been traveling.  Amazing how bad the internet is in most hotels.  We were in a Fairfield Inn the other night and I only had a 368k connection.  That's harkening back to the earliest DSL days (never mind when that speed first became available we thought it was BLAZING fast).

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Hi Mike,

Welcome.  Sorry to say hi so late!

I've gone through a similar bout of medical set-backs the past few years.  I like to think those set-backs build character!

We've got similar academic interests!  I've got a degree in molecular biology with a minor course of study in Exercise Physiology.  Can I audit your classes?    I bet there's new knowledge since I was in college!

Hey Mike,

We have been running a workout/weight-loss challenge.  We wrapped up the "competition" part of it on April 1st.  Steve L. (lutzman) won the mug that was the prize.

I asked just a few moments ago when I posted the results if we should continue the challenge for the motivation.  I'll put you down as a "YES."