grandhavenbill's group - FULL (Page 21)

Yes, absolutely.  Do a google search on "cyclist hands."  Riding in the drops/bullhorns compresses the nerve bundles in your hands and, voila, numb digits.....

Just started my turbo dose of steroids this morning and am absolutely zinging....Should be real interesting when I have another 9 pills in me by tomorrow evening!

Tell us more about what has you concerned/rattled.  Constantly fatigued?  Don't feel fresh/powerful on the run/bike?  Or just not happy with the way Johan's played out?

Brad,

You are doing AWESOME.  Remember, this is your first season man!  Your bike times for a rookie are very strong and there are folks out there who have been doing this for years that would kill to swim the way you do.  Your run is also strong and, along with the bike, will continue to get better with time.  You will be AMAZED at the improvements you will make going into next season (assuming, of course, you stick with us this winter!  ).

Don't get hung up on what other folks are doing on the course relative to you.  You are learning this game and what works (and doesn't) for you.  As mentioned in some previous posts, I learned some HARD lessons my first season...Poor nutrition/hydration, overtraining, being a slave to the training plan and not listening to my body....the list is long.  I think you got whacked by the heat at Johan's.  This happened to me at Steelhead my first time.  Wasn't acclimated and went out and tried to blast it without paying attention to my hydration....ouch.

You've put in the miles and are reaching the end of your last build phase.  Perfectly normal to feel tapped at this point.  Trust the plan, but listen to your body and take a day or two off if you need it.  It will NOT affect your fitness level!  As you head into your taper, you WILL recover and probably feel like you aren't doing enough.  Fight the urge to do more and follow the plan.  You want to wake up on race morning feeling fresh and ready to rock.

That little voice you are hearing?  Also perfectly normal.  It will get even louder when you  double that distance next year training for IMMOO!    Seriously, re-focus on why you are doing this.  We all have our reasons (Jen is convinced I have un-met needs from my childhood...) and only you know what those are.  Use them as your motivation to push thru the next couple of weeks knowing you will get a break during taper.  Visualize yourself out there on the course doing YOUR race.

Some other thoughts for the next few weeks:

1) Make sure you are getting enough sleep and proper nutrition for recovery.

2) Hot epsom salt baths work wonders for dead legs.  A jacuzzi tub is even better.  Massage is also a wonderul thing. 

3) Rather than a "redline" effort at Tri Del Sol, consider going over to Benton Harbor and riding the entire Steelhead course followed by an easy 2-ish mile run afterwards instead.  If I can swing it (heading back to China soon...), I'd love to come along.

 4) Most importantly, remember that this is FUN!

Alright. You guys have talked some sense into me. I appreciate letting me sit lay on the virtual couch to clear my brain a bit. The biggest thing that I seem to have trouble with is remembering the following: yes, I have been busting my a55 for the last 10 months. I forget that all those people who are passing me on the bike have been busting theirs as hard or harder for years. I'm somewhat of an instant gradification guy, and well, triathlon training just isn't an instant results kind of hobby.

John - thanks for the insight. Watching you train and become a triathlete has been inspiring. (Ok, so that's about all the mushy fell good crap I can muster! Will stick with nice work, or good job from here on out.) your last line kind of hit me. This HIM will be an experience unlike any I've ever had. I need to take it for what it is, and enjoy that experience. That's why I'm doing it after all. 

Your run is also strong and, along with the bike, will continue to get better with time.  You will be AMAZED at the improvements you will make going into next season (assuming, of course, you stick with us this winter!  ). 

Alright gentelmen. My mind is clear and I'm back in the game. See, I just needed a little feel good pep talk. i think also a simple HTFU would have done it too. Or, I could change the phrase I gave my wife on our wedding day: "Toughen up, your a Schottke now." to "Toughen up, your a Triathlete now."

That may be my next signature if when I finish Steelhead.

Atta boy Brad!  Thought a lot about "stuff" during Saturday's long run.  I knew this after my first season, but have further reinforced that I am/have become a very goal driven individual.  The great thing about this endurance game:  there is always a carrot dangling out there and, at the end of the day, it is all about ME.  I control what races/events I pick, I control the training plan, and it is up to me to make it happen.  People pi$$ and moan that they don't have enough time to train?  BS!!!  Get your butt out of bed at 4:00 am and HTFU.....

You will find your niche in this game.  Me?  I've obviously gravitated towards the long distance stuff.  It just makes me tick.  But, it certainly isn't for everyone.  If du's, sprints or oly's turns out to be your thing, that's awesome too.  Heck, you may be the next stud Team Bissel rider!

I'd love to come ride the Steelhead course with you.  Will have to play it by ear, however, on the domestic front.  With another 2+ week China "vacation" coming up at the end of the month, I'm on a fairly short leash right now on the homefront....Pick a date that works for you and I'll do my best to jump on.

I would also suggest that you start coming over this way and swim in Lake Michigan a few times before the race.  Grand Haven State Park is perfect.  The swim buoys are great to sight off of and give you a good ~1 mile straight stretch one way.  With a few swims, you should be able to get some experience in various wave and current conditions.  You never know what she is going to throw at you on race morning....

Brad:  Thanks for the invite, but we are camping this weekend.  You will be fine on the course, nothing worse than what you are used to riding.  Soak it in, make good mental notes, and enjoy the ride.  After your run (you ARE going to brick this, right?!?), go ride one loop of the run course too!

So how did the ride go this weekend Brad?

Going to turn the tables on you guys....I'm having a "moral dilemma" on my plans for this fall.  As you know, I was/am planning to run the 50 mile trail Ultra on September 19.  I knew it would be a boost, but had no idea how strong my cardio engine would be coming off the 24 hour bike event and my running is the best it has been in this stage of a training plan.  I've been doing my long runs "naked" (no watch, underfueled, early morning, rain, etc.) and am pleasantly surprised at my pace. 

What's the dilemma you ask?  Well, I missed my BQ time at Detroit last October by around 3 minutes because my stomach shut down around mile 8.....A local race (Old Boys Brewhouse Oktoberfest), run by two close friends of mine, has added a full certified mary that just happens to fall on the same day as the ultra.....Thinking that, with some speed work, I'd stand a good chance at a BQ if I can stay healthy.  It would be really cool to do that in my own back yard!  On the other hand, If I'm gonna do an ultra, my cardio engine has never been stronger.....

Almost feel like I'm "wussing out" if I don't do the Ultra, but I'd REALLY like to BQ also....Jen is pushing me towards the BQ attempt, but only because she thinks I'm pushing too hard with the ultra.  She did not approve of my condition after the 24 hour bike and did not follow my logic that the ultra would only take me about 9 or 10 hours! 

Thanks guys, good stuff.  I'm starting to lean heavily towards the mary.  It also gives me more time to bike and swim, a good thing as I want to go back and defend my first place AG spot from last year at my hometown tri (Niles) on Labor Day weekend.

Brad:  I'm actually planning to jockstrap two marathon virgins from work at GR....

OK guys, after Saturday's long run (20 miler, 7:45 average on 4.5 hours of sleep), I'm in for the  BQ attempt.  Got a new pair of kicks on Friday and will start speed work in earnest tomorrow before I get on the plane for my China "vacation." 

Brad:  How is the taper going?  Are your feeling better about things?

Congrats Brad, let's hear more about this new job.  Do your best to get some rest and trust the taper. 

Speaking from experience, it's easy to pack running gear.  No excuses, right?!?!    Heck, more than 1/2 my bag on this trip was my workout gear (running shoes, fuel belt, gu, etc.)..... 

Will you mostly driving or flying for your travels?  I see a new bike rack in your future....