Dominion's Sprint/Oly/70.3 Group--Closed (Page 21)

2015-06-01 9:22 AM

in reply to: TonyAbbott

Veteran

1016

Deep South, Georgia

Subject: RE: Open Water swimming problem. Please help!!!!

Originally posted by TonyAbbott I had my first Sprint triathlon of the session at Hyde Park this weekend, which is my only ever second Open Water swim. My time was down on last year despite doing a lot more training. I was 4 mins down on the 750 swim, 2 mins down on the bike and another 2 mins down on the run. I was so tired when I came out of the swim I was just pleased to finish, so I think the swim is where it all went wrong! From about the first quarter I was worried that I wasn't going to be able to complete the swim leg. Like last year I really struggled to put my face in the water, meaning I swam the whole distance breathing one stoke to the left and the next with my face out of the water facing ahead. I think this made me so tried that the slow bike and run was inevitable. I don't know what the problem is, I'm not afraid of water, I can swim fine in the pool and in the sea on holiday. I thought initially it was because of the cold, but now I wonder if it's the disorientation from not being able to see or possibly both. Any ideas, suggestions that you think could help. I'm racing again in two weeks and then my first Olympic six weeks later.

Many people have that problem with open water swimming. Sometimes I have that problem. You just need to relax and find a rhythm. Try practicing in the pool by swimming with your eyes closed. May help with not being able to see in open water swimming.

2015-06-01 10:25 AM

in reply to: TonyAbbott

212

Pacific Northwest, Washington

Subject: RE: Open Water swimming problem. Please help!!!!

Originally posted by TonyAbbott
My time was down on last year despite doing a lot more training.
I was 4 mins down on the 750 swim, 2 mins down on the bike and another 2 mins down on the run.
Like last year I really struggled to put my face in the water, meaning I swam the whole distance breathing one stoke to the left and the next with my face out of the water facing ahead. I don't know what the problem is, I'm not afraid of water, I can swim fine in the pool and in the sea on holiday.
I thought initially it was because of the cold, but now I wonder if it's the disorientation from not being able to see or possibly both.

Any ideas, suggestions that you think could help. I'm racing again in two weeks and then my first Olympic six weeks later.

I had the same issue with my swim on Saturday. Like you, I'm not afraid of water and swim fine in the pool and in open water swims. For me, I think it's just the chaos of the start. When I do a training OWS, it's just me. Everything is calm and peaceful and zen-like. But at the start of Saturday's race, I went out faster than I should and couldn't get into my peaceful zen rhythm. I floundered the first half of the swim. It wasn't until I was near the back of the pack that I could get myself to relax and put my head down. I think what I need to do is find a lake or river where I can occasionally practice swimming around other people, or maybe try to get a small group together to do an OWS with me at the private lake.

Also, I don't know if weather conditions may have affected your bike and/or run. It was quite windy during my tri on Saturday. I am a little disappointed with my speed as I expected to go faster, but I know the 10+mph headwind affected it. And fortunately for me, being an Alaska girl, the cooler weather was on my side for the run.

I don't know if this helps; it's just my experiences.

scottjjmtri99

2015-06-01 1:01 PM

in reply to: 0

New user

178

Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly/70.3 Group--Closed

Spring Holly Recreation Sprint Triathlon:

Friday afternoon I looked at the forecast for the race day and it had a 0% chance of rain, but on the cooler side with a high near 60 and lows in the 40s. I could handle that. Saturday evening I look again and it's flipped to 100% chance of rain! Good old Michigan weather right there. UHG!

So, I pack accordingly Saturday night as it doesn't look like the weatherman's lying this time. Everything is prepped and I head to bed. I actually sleep somewhat decent again for a change. (I hadn't slept good since we made the move to the place until Friday night) Sunday, I wake up at 5am to be on the road by 5:30. It's stopped raining at home so I had hopes that it would be raining at the venue. I looked at the radar, and my hopes were dashed quickly. Grabbed some extra rain gear and made my way out the door.

I get the venue and it's raining steadily. Not too many athletes there yet. I set up transition and prep my bike. It was recommended to not run the bike on max tire pressure so, I quickly grabbed my tire pump and made the recommended adjustments to 90 psi. Everything was set. Time to get my wetsuit on and do a quick warm up swim. The water temp was 68F and air temp was mid 40s. Water felt very warm!

It's time to line up for the swim. I get counted in and head over to the far left of most swimmers. Didn't know what to expect as my training had been lacking for the past 3 weeks as I've previously mentioned. The horn blows and off I go. At first I was by myself, like I"m used to being, then I start getting into the thick of things. The battle begins! I never got kicked or kicked anyone from my recollection but I may have drafted briefly before sighting to make sure I was still on course. (I don't trust other swimmers haha) Finally kinda get out the battle with exception of one swimmer that decided he/she wanted to bump into me every so often. Made it out of water and into transition in 16:35. Not bad and much better than previous years.

Transition, I struggle to get the wetsuit off my feet. Literally had to sit down to get it off. I've watched the videos and it just doesn't work that way for me. Everything else goes well. Glasses on o protect my eyes from the rain, helmet, shoes and bike. in 2:46. I was under 3 so was happy to see that.

Clipping in went well on the bike and off I went! I passed several folks immediately on the course and then was by myself for the remainder of the ride. Passing more folks on the second loop through. This was no ordinary bike course. There was nothing flat on this ride. I was either going up, or going down and I'm not talking easy ups and downs, they were hard enough to have to gear down most of the time and follow that with wet roads and puddles and rain. It was a very technical and difficult course to get through. There was one section where I prayed that I never had to meet anyone coming at me in the other direction. The road split two small lakes and there was puddling in both lanes leaving about 3 ft of dry road (non puddled road) to ride through. This spot was at the bottom of two hills and curves. Not much time to ensure safe passage with an oncoming biker. Fortunately, my prayers were answered and I never had a close call in that area. After 2 loops of them crazy hills I was ready to run. Bike time of: 43:31. (Also, found myself thinking of the song "Crushing it", by Brad Paisley while on the bike lol)

T2 goes well. 1:06 and bike is racked, helmets off and running shoes on. Ready to run! Until I started running that is. Mind said go, legs and lungs said "hold up, we'll finish this race, but it ain't gonna be fast".

Run course is similar to the bike course. Hilly with only a few flats spots. The run actually started out ok. It just didn't fair well once I got to a small hill and trail to go through followed by a bigger hill. Was not ready for run. I let my mind eventually cave to my legs that were screaming slow down and hit mile 1 in about 8:45, kinda started to snap back to life after that and ran 7:50s for mile 2 followed by low 7s for the final mile and had a decent sprint for the last .1. Run time was 24:13. One of my weaker runs in a Tri but I can't complain. The last month has been horrible for training purposes and I did go in treating this like a hard training day to see how well I could hang on.

Final time was 1:28:09 good enough for 7th overall and 1st in AG! Very happy with my effort and the results. I also know where I think I need work. Pretty much all 3 disciplines need help in some shape or form. Swim needs sighting work, bike just needs more time in the saddle, and run needs more brick runs. I won't encounter a course this tough again until I return the end of August. Looking to put a hurting on them hills next time around!

Hope ya'll enjoyed the long winded race report!

Scott

Edited by scottjjmtri99 2015-06-01 1:21 PM

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2015-06-01 1:12 PM

in reply to: TonyAbbott

541

North Grafton, Massachusetts

Subject: RE: Open Water swimming problem. Please help!!!!

Originally posted by TonyAbbott

I don't know what the problem is, I'm not afraid of water, I can swim fine in the pool and in the sea on holiday.
I thought initially it was because of the cold, but now I wonder if it's the disorientation from not being able to see or possibly both.

Any ideas, suggestions that you think could help. I'm racing again in two weeks and then my first Olympic six weeks later.

By now, you're sensing a theme here. I, too, struggled with my OWS during my first triathlon. I've been a recreational swimmer since I was a kid and grew up literally a stone's throw from a lake where I spent so much of my childhood. I have never been afraid of the water, per se, but suffocating/drowning is a fear of mine. I know, seems like a contradiction, but I have no fear when I'm in the pool.

For my first tri, I was feeling pretty confident based on my training, so at the start line I decided to dash into the water with the rest of the front of the pack. I think that was a BIG mistake for me. Instead of being in a lane by myself (or maybe sharing with one other person), I was suddenly in this huge thrash of arms and legs and bubbles! Bodies everywhere, bubbles everywhere, and I could barely see in front of my face. I honestly think I had a mild panic attack. Within probably 100 meters I was out of breath, gasping for air, and finding it difficult to calm my heart rate and breathing.

I never did recover. I spent that entire swim flipping onto my back to try to catch my breath and then trying to go back to free style. I finished 600 yards in 14:01, but I was hoping for much closer to 11:00. I did much better in my second sprint, going 1/4 mile (440 yard) swim in 8:04. The nice thing about that tri was that it used a time trial format for the swim. Every 10 seconds, 3 more competitors entered the water. So things weren't spaced out a ton, but you weren't diving into a sea of flailing limbs and bubbles either. It helped me tremendously and that fact is reflected in my swim time.

In the future, I'll avoid the first situation. Until I'm more comfortable and confident in that kind of setting with a massive start wave, I'll just hang towards the back of the pack or out to the far side of the group until things thin out a little. On top of that, I'm trying to teach myself "active recovery" in the pool. Basically, going harder to get my heart rate up, then practicing slowing my pace until my heart rate and breathing return to a more tolerable level. During my longer swims, I'll surge for a period and then back off the pace until I feel like I can go harder again. Chris can weigh in on whether or not he thinks that is time well spent or if I'm wasting my time.

2015-06-01 1:24 PM

in reply to: scottjjmtri99

541

North Grafton, Massachusetts

Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly/70.3 Group--Closed

Originally posted by scottjjmtri99

Final time was 1:28:09 good enough for 7th overall and 1st in AG! Very happy with my effort and the results. I also know where I think I need work. Pretty much all 3 disciplines need help in some shape or form. Swim needs sighting work, bike just needs more time in the saddle, and run needs more brick runs. I won't encounter a course this tough again until I return the end of August. Looking to put a hurting on them hills next time around!

Hope ya'll enjoyed the long winded race report!

Scott

Excellent race report. And excellent race! I wish I could run 24:13 for just a regular 5K, never mind in a sprint tri. And 7th overall, including first in your AG, sounds like a dream to me. But I understand where you're coming from. I exceeded my own expectations in my first tri last year, but I still felt like I could have had a better time (mostly due to a poor swim). Hey, it's what keeps us motivated to train, right?

2015-06-01 7:38 PM

in reply to: rjchilds8

Veteran

1016

Deep South, Georgia

Subject: RE: Open Water swimming problem. Please help!!!!

Originally posted by rjchilds8

Originally posted by TonyAbbott I don't know what the problem is, I'm not afraid of water, I can swim fine in the pool and in the sea on holiday. I thought initially it was because of the cold, but now I wonder if it's the disorientation from not being able to see or possibly both. Any ideas, suggestions that you think could help. I'm racing again in two weeks and then my first Olympic six weeks later.

By now, you're sensing a theme here. I, too, struggled with my OWS during my first triathlon. I've been a recreational swimmer since I was a kid and grew up literally a stone's throw from a lake where I spent so much of my childhood. I have never been afraid of the water, per se, but suffocating/drowning is a fear of mine. I know, seems like a contradiction, but I have no fear when I'm in the pool. For my first tri, I was feeling pretty confident based on my training, so at the start line I decided to dash into the water with the rest of the front of the pack. I think that was a BIG mistake for me. Instead of being in a lane by myself (or maybe sharing with one other person), I was suddenly in this huge thrash of arms and legs and bubbles! Bodies everywhere, bubbles everywhere, and I could barely see in front of my face. I honestly think I had a mild panic attack. Within probably 100 meters I was out of breath, gasping for air, and finding it difficult to calm my heart rate and breathing. I never did recover. I spent that entire swim flipping onto my back to try to catch my breath and then trying to go back to free style. I finished 600 yards in 14:01, but I was hoping for much closer to 11:00. I did much better in my second sprint, going 1/4 mile (440 yard) swim in 8:04. The nice thing about that tri was that it used a time trial format for the swim. Every 10 seconds, 3 more competitors entered the water. So things weren't spaced out a ton, but you weren't diving into a sea of flailing limbs and bubbles either. It helped me tremendously and that fact is reflected in my swim time. In the future, I'll avoid the first situation. Until I'm more comfortable and confident in that kind of setting with a massive start wave, I'll just hang towards the back of the pack or out to the far side of the group until things thin out a little. On top of that, I'm trying to teach myself "active recovery" in the pool. Basically, going harder to get my heart rate up, then practicing slowing my pace until my heart rate and breathing return to a more tolerable level. During my longer swims, I'll surge for a period and then back off the pace until I feel like I can go harder again. Chris can weigh in on whether or not he thinks that is time well spent or if I'm wasting my time.

I think active recovery is a great concept. It works on the bike and run too. Treadmill runs work great. You can push the pace (or incline) then back if off for recovery. Each interval can get a little faster and each recovery a little faster until your recovery is at or near where your starting interval was.

2015-06-01 7:59 PM

in reply to: scottjjmtri99

Veteran

1016

Deep South, Georgia

Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly/70.3 Group--Closed

Great race report, Scott. And great race! Way to handle the conditions. The term "embrace the suck" can sometimes refer to the weather too!

2015-06-01 11:43 PM

in reply to: Dominion

212

Pacific Northwest, Washington

Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly/70.3 Group--Closed

May totals
S: 15,252.9 yards
B: 213.95 miles
R: 38.13 miles

My swim numbers are probably way off, as I think my GPS watch wasn't recording my distance correctly. I think someone in this group suggested putting my watch under my swim cap, and I might try that next time. My bike and run miles are a bit lower than I would have liked, but when I have been able to ride, I've been going longer distances than in the past.

I have a pretty busy race schedule ahead of me, with the Grumpy Grouch 5K again this coming Friday, followed by the Moses Lake Tri for the Health of It the following weekend. I'll be off for a conference for a week, and then the Righteous Richland Sprint Tri on Independence Day, the Tiger Tri two weeks later, the Power of Pasco Sprint Tri two weeks after that, and then finishing up with the West Plains Wunderwoman Olympic Tri the middle of August. The Moses Lake Tri is really just a training race for me, and the Richland and Pasco sprints just for fun. The two I'll be concentrating on are the Tiger Tri (a lot of "non-triathlete" friends and coworkers in that one!) and the West Plains Wunderwoman.

Scott, congratulations on your race! I love reading long race reports! We've had a lot of thunderstorms with flooding in the lower areas around here, but fortunately, the sun came out for my race just before we started.

2015-06-02 8:03 AM

in reply to: #5075698

Veteran

604

Cleburne, Texas

Subject: May Totals

Good job, Scott! And great race report! I wish I could write some like that. Most of mine are, "I ate breakfast then went for a swim. Got out and rode my bike where I swallowed a bug, spit and spewed, then jumped off and went for a run. I'm okay now just need a beer and sleep."

May's totals are really close to where I wanted to be. My speeds are still increasing while holding the same heart rate and overall I feel really good. Usually by now I'm experiencing a little burnout and I can be a little short tempered. Not this time. I have two weeks left to hit it hard before my two week taper. No rain in the forecast and that's BIG!!

Swim: 15.2 miles, 8' 38"
Bike: 390.6 miles, 25' 08"
Run: 93.8 miles, 15' 18"

2015-06-02 1:15 PM

in reply to: HelmoAlkou

541

North Grafton, Massachusetts

Subject: May Totals

Swim:3h 17m 01s - 8700 M
Bike:5h 45m 04s - 78.41 Mi
Run:4h 31m 17s - 29.98 M

My totals were up across the board! I started really trying to stretch out my bike rides. I've only done one ride at my full Olympic distance of 28 miles, but I'll do more. I still haven't been able to consistently get to the pool 2 days a week, but I did add 1700 meters over last month (which was a down month).

My bike total will most likely be down in June. I have a 10K in less than 2 weeks and I'm going to spend the next 10 days focusing on my running for that distance. There is one jerk that I would love to beat in this race. While I have tried to avoid focusing too much on running because of that, I think I can skip my bike for a couple weeks without too much trouble. I'll still keep going to the pool, but riding the bike takes its toll on my legs and I want them to be primed for this race. I'd call it my "A-minus" race. My main race is my Oly in August, but I have a strong desire to beat one that is going to be in this 10K.

nrpoulin

2015-06-02 9:42 PM

in reply to: 0

595

Subject: RE: Feb Volume

My monthly totals for May
SWIM - 3h 15m 04s - 11300.00 Yd
BIKE - 6h 56m 30s - 130.55 Mi
RUN - 5h 46m 43s - 40.33 Mi

Despite being up in all three I missed a bunch of workouts (four bikes, four swims, and a run) and cut my run volume toward the end of the month.
In addition to my foot trouble I developed an arrhythmia (premature ventricular contractions). Typically benign and self limiting (brought on by fatigue, electrolyte abnormalities, too much caffeine, ect ), but I keep having them. Fortunately no other symptoms. Supposed to start a med and see a cardiologist. I am out of town so it wont be until next week. I took a couple days off but decided to resume activity. Bike times are getting better, run and swim a little slower.

As for the shoes, I had been looking at the tri fly and the specialized, will have to order online. Don't want to spend a ton, but hoping for a better fit. Local bike store where we are traveling has the specialized, but a little over priced.

Next race in two weeks. Sprint tri.

Great race Cass and Scott!
anyone racing this weekend?

Monthly Totals for April
SWIM 2h 31m 36s - 8000.00 Yd
BIKE 6h 35m 06s - 122.21 Mi
RUN 4h 36m 45s - 32.22 Mi

Edited by nrpoulin 2015-06-02 9:43 PM

2015-06-03 8:34 AM

in reply to: rjchilds8

Veteran

1016

Deep South, Georgia

Subject: RE: May Totals

May:

S: 9220 yards

B: 257 miles

R: 68 miles

Scheduling conflicts cost me a couple of swim sessions so that was a little low this month, but bike and run were pretty solid.

I'm racing Tybee Island sprint this weekend. It's a quality local race that brings out fast competition. I think all the fast guys from Atlanta metro come down for beach vacations. It's an ocean swim, and last year I held on for the last spot on the podium in a sprint finish by 4 seconds. Should be fun!!!

2015-06-03 8:36 AM

in reply to: 0

Veteran

1016

Deep South, Georgia

Subject: RE: May Totals

Originally posted by HelmoAlkou Good job, Scott! And great race report! I wish I could write some like that. Most of mine are, "I ate breakfast then went for a swim. Got out and rode my bike where I swallowed a bug, spit and spewed, then jumped off and went for a run. I'm okay now just need a beer and sleep." May's totals are really close to where I wanted to be. My speeds are still increasing while holding the same heart rate and overall I feel really good. Usually by now I'm experiencing a little burnout and I can be a little short tempered. Not this time. I have two weeks left to hit it hard before my two week taper. No rain in the forecast and that's BIG!! Swim: 15.2 miles, 8' 38" Bike: 390.6 miles, 25' 08" Run: 93.8 miles, 15' 18"

Nice totals!! When I have big bike miles my run volume is usually down or vice versa. You had a very nice month of training all around!

Edited by Dominion 2015-06-03 8:37 AM

2015-06-03 1:19 PM

in reply to: Dominion

541

North Grafton, Massachusetts

Subject: Foot cramp follow up

It seems I may have solved my foot cramp problems. I tried a number of different things early on in the training season and the results were mixed. I tried making sure that I was plenty hydrated. I tried taking in extra electrolytes in the 24 hours leading up to my swim.g I tried pickle juice. I tried some foot stretches I found online. I tried paying attention to my ankles to make sure they were relaxed and not stiff or hyper-flexed. While I had days where my workouts weren't cut short by foot cramps, I never found anything that worked with consistent effectiveness.

Enter ... the golf ball. That's right, it doesn't matter if it's Titleist, Callaway, Nike, Maxfli, or Top-Flite. I have found that if I spend a little time rolling a golf ball under my foot before my swim workout I have completely avoided cramps in the arch of my foot. I spend 2-3 minutes on each foot and I can definitely feel the difference. It has worked so well that I now keep a golf ball in my swim bag so that I always have one in case I rush out of the house to get to the pool and forget to do it at home.

I have no idea how effective it would be for other people, but this has worked wonders for me. And I know it's working because I've had times where my foot will cramp even if I'm just doing something around the house! As soon as that happens, I go right for my golf bag! LOL I have no idea if the cramps come from overuse or the higher level of activity in training (relative to the rest of the year), but I get them fairly frequently in my feet and once in a while in my calves. Although, the calves usually only happen after transitioning from bike to run. But that's a whole other issue.

2015-06-04 4:54 AM

in reply to: rjchilds8

Veteran

604

Cleburne, Texas

Subject: RE: Foot cramp follow up

Originally posted by rjchilds8 It seems I may have solved my foot cramp problems. I tried a number of different things early on in the training season and the results were mixed. I tried making sure that I was plenty hydrated. I tried taking in extra electrolytes in the 24 hours leading up to my swim.g I tried pickle juice. I tried some foot stretches I found online. I tried paying attention to my ankles to make sure they were relaxed and not stiff or hyper-flexed. While I had days where my workouts weren't cut short by foot cramps, I never found anything that worked with consistent effectiveness. Enter ... the golf ball. That's right, it doesn't matter if it's Titleist, Callaway, Nike, Maxfli, or Top-Flite. I have found that if I spend a little time rolling a golf ball under my foot before my swim workout I have completely avoided cramps in the arch of my foot. I spend 2-3 minutes on each foot and I can definitely feel the difference. It has worked so well that I now keep a golf ball in my swim bag so that I always have one in case I rush out of the house to get to the pool and forget to do it at home. I have no idea how effective it would be for other people, but this has worked wonders for me. And I know it's working because I've had times where my foot will cramp even if I'm just doing something around the house! As soon as that happens, I go right for my golf bag! LOL I have no idea if the cramps come from overuse or the higher level of activity in training (relative to the rest of the year), but I get them fairly frequently in my feet and once in a while in my calves. Although, the calves usually only happen after transitioning from bike to run. But that's a whole other issue.

Very good!

2015-06-04 5:14 AM

in reply to: 0

Veteran

604

Cleburne, Texas

Subject: Careful out there!!!

Well, it finally happened. I got attacked by another dog but this time I couldn't get out the pepper spray in time. A large dog was running with me barking inside his fence so I didn't pull out the spray. Right at the end there was a hole he shot through, two bounds across the small rural road, and he was on me. I dodged his attack with my left foot but his momentum crashed into me and carried us onto the grassy two foot wide shoulder. I was kicking at him but by the time I unlocked my spray he was gone. There was a lady outside working that saw it all who I noticed was yelling at someone else and pointing. When I got my bike up and looked around she, the dog, the person she was yelling at behind the house were all gone.

I waited 5-10 minutes, yelling from the road before the man finally eased around the corner in a mule with the dog sitting next to him. Obviously he thought I was gone. By this time I realized my shorts were ripped and I had a gash in my right hip where I landed on something in the grass. But it was his "I don't really care what happened to you and I'm not lifting a finger to help" attitude did not set well on me and we had words. After the 1.5 hour to ride back to the house my wife insisted we go to the ER. A long story short I finally went to an ER out of town because ours was packed. I ate supper at midnight and got into the bed at 12:30 this morning. After a 12 hour work day, 3 hrs on the bike, and 4 hours sleep I'm up and ready for work. The sheriff was notified and I'll be filing a report today. I love dogs but none will get my "benefit of doubt" again! And I'm planning on being reimbursed for a torn jersey, shorts, and ER co-pay, at least.

Edit: I'm out of the pool for seven days until the eight stitches are out but the doctor said I can still ride and run as long as I'm not stretching or pulling the cut. Have to keep the stitches as dry as possible.

Edited by HelmoAlkou 2015-06-04 5:17 AM

scottjjmtri99

2015-06-04 9:32 AM

in reply to: HelmoAlkou

New user

178

Subject: RE: Careful out there!!!

Originally posted by HelmoAlkou

Yikes! Glad you're alright! Most of my rides are by myself as well and I have my cell phone with me for a scenario just like yours. I worry about dogs or cars not paying attention. The roads I used to ride on were rural paved roads that didn't see too much traffic but I still don't trust them. I'm still trying to figure some good routes at the new place. There is a rail trail that I can ride on not too far from my place.

Scott

scottjjmtri99

2015-06-04 9:37 AM

in reply to: rjchilds8

New user

178

Subject: RE: Foot cramp follow up

Originally posted by rjchilds8
ell that I now keep a golf ball in my swim bag so that I always have one in case I rush out of the house to get to the pool and forget to do it at home.

I have no idea how effective it would be for other people, but this has worked wonders for me. And I know it's working because I've had times where my foot will cramp even if I'm just doing something around the house! As soon as that happens, I go right for my golf bag! LOL I have no idea if the cramps come from overuse or the higher level of activity in training (relative to the rest of the year), but I get them fairly frequently in my feet and once in a while in my calves. Although, the calves usually only happen after transitioning from bike to run. But that's a whole other issue.

I used the "stick" to roll out my feet last night after a 20 mile bike and 4 mile run. Found a few "knots" to roll out. I also used the stick on my legs, they were not happy after 2 different workouts spaced only about 45 minutes apart. Last 1/2 mile of the run I had some major cramping or spasms in my upper legs. Had to stop and try to stretch it out, but it didn't seem to help much. Leg swings finally seemed to make the "knot" let loose so I could finish the run. I stayed at my old place last night as it's closer to work and grass needed cutting, I always have the "stick" in my truck for travel purposes and it came in very handy yesterday!

Scott

marriedthepoolguy

2015-06-04 10:05 AM

in reply to: #5075698

Americus, Georgia

Subject: RE: Careful out there!!

I've actually had morevtrpublecwith ignorant humans than I have with dogs, but a friend (who was attacked by a dog last year) turned me on to the Road ID app. If you don't use it, I highly recommend it. It sends a text message to the person of your choice, alerting them that you are heading out for a ride. The app tracks you and if you stop anywhere for more than 5 minutes (ie if you are unconscious in a ditch) it alerts that person and sends your location coordinates. You can also send a text when you are finished with your ride to that person so they aren't wondering. As a woman riding alone in very rural areas, this app makes me feel much safer!
Hope you are healing!!

2015-06-04 1:43 PM

in reply to: HelmoAlkou

541

North Grafton, Massachusetts

Subject: RE: Careful out there!!!

Originally posted by HelmoAlkou

Well, it finally happened. I got attacked by another dog but this time I couldn't get out the pepper spray in time.

Yikes! I feel lucky to say that I haven't had any run-ins with dogs on my rides. I had only one incident with a very ignorant driver that sped ahead of me and then cut directly in front of me. He got the finger, no doubt! There were a couple nighttime runs last year where I had a couple skunk sightings, but otherwise I haven't had any issues with our 4 legged friends. Sorry to hear you weren't so lucky. Hope you're healed up soon!

2015-06-05 9:39 AM

in reply to: rjchilds8

Veteran

604

Cleburne, Texas

Subject: RE: Careful out there!!!

Thanks! I got out of the habit of carrying my phone on rides. THAT will change! Yes I use the Road ID app. and that will pick up again with carrying the phone.

I've learned that there are no laws in our county regarding animal attacks. The worse case would be IF I got bit the Dep Sheriff could go out and check vaccination records and issue a ticket if they're not up to date. Other then that it would be a civil case. And, because I didn't get bit it would only be my word against his that his dog knocked me off my bike. Hardly enough for me to through down more money and time going to court. SO, $180 of cycling clothes, $250 co-pay at ER, one week restriction from the pool (I'm most upset about), and another lesson learned. SPRAY THE DOG ASAP NO MATTER WHAT!!

Also, I've had far more issues in town while running than in the county! And, I agree, people scare me more!

Tips: A few cyclist in my area have chimed in with tips. One said to buy the bear spray because it sprays farther. Another said he carried a can of wasp spray in one of his bottle holders. It spray 20 feet and burns just as good in the eyes, lol.

I think a few of you are racing this weekend so GOOD LUCK AND GO GET EM!!!

2015-06-05 8:48 PM

in reply to: TonyAbbott

Veteran

1016

Deep South, Georgia

Subject: RE: Open Water swimming problem. Please help!!!!

During my swim this morning, I got to thinking more about the open water discussion and what causes people to have issues with relaxing and breathing that they don't normally have while pool swimming. The difference of not being able to see the bottom was discussed and I think that is a part of the issue. But I got to thinking that psychologically we use the approaching wall as a crutch. We know it's there, we know that it's the "reset button" to the next lap. We know we really only have to swim that next 25 yards or meters. That wall is how we measure our swim. It breaks it down into manageable sections and we know exactly how far we have gone and how far we have left to go before a break. We don't have that in open water. I think that plays a role somewhere in our psyche, especially for the less experienced swimmers.

Anyone else feel this way? Thoughts?

2015-06-06 1:13 AM

in reply to: Dominion

212

Pacific Northwest, Washington

Subject: RE: Open Water swimming problem. Please help!!!!

Originally posted by Dominion

Anyone else feel this way? Thoughts?

This is just my experience, for me it's the chaos at the beginning of the start of the race, coupled with the fact that when I start an OWS in training, I'm standing on a ladder, and it's an easy, low impact entrance into the water. The lake is very deep, so there's no bottom in sight; it's just water. There's nothing creepy. I swim out 160 strokes, turn around, and swim back. But when I started last Saturday's race, I was knee deep in water, and when I dove in (after running a few steps), it was very, very different. It was an impact where I sank down into the water--which doesn't bother me in a pool swim, but not something I do in at the lake. And then my hands hit the lakebed as I tried to swim, and I wasn't used to that, either. I tangled in weeds and pulled up mud and rocks for probably the first couple dozen yards. It was creepy. And I would turn my head to breathe and see other people's hands and heads and water splashing in my face. I wanted to swim faster to get out of the mess, which then caused me to breathe too hard and go out too fast. All of these things affected my ability to concentrate on me, which is what I needed to do. I had to slow down and let enough people pass me until it was less chaotic and I could get into my rhythm.

I've been getting a few more women interested in triathlons, and I'm thinking of getting a group together to practice at one of the local public lakes where we can start from the beach and get used to more of a race start, with chaos and flailing arms and the impact of throwing one's body face first in the lake. The lake where I swim doesn't have a beach. There's dry land, and then 100-foot deep water.

2015-06-06 1:24 AM

in reply to: HelmoAlkou

212

Pacific Northwest, Washington

Subject: RE: Dominion's Sprint/Oly/70.3 Group--Closed

Originally posted by HelmoAlkou

HEY! I remembered an article I read a while back about OWS and using a GPS. The lady said she put her watch under her swim cap on the back of her head. She got great numbers every time!

I tried that tonight. I attached my GPS watch to my goggle band so it stayed on the top of my head. It recorded a distance of only 0.36 miles in a half hour, which put me at almost six minutes per 100 yards. I know that ain't right! Even on my slowest day in the pool, my worst time is maybe 3:20/100 yards, while my average is probably about 3:05. So, evidently, my watch is pretty much useless in the water. I know there are some (more expensive!) watches that WILL work, and maybe next year I'll fork over the bucks for one of those. For now, I'll just divide my swim time by 2:30, which is a little slower than my swim race pace, to estimate my distance.

2015-06-06 6:06 AM

in reply to: Dominion

541

North Grafton, Massachusetts

Subject: RE: Open Water swimming problem. Please help!!!!

Originally posted by Dominion

Anyone else feel this way? Thoughts?

For me, there were two aspects to it with my first triathlon. The first was what I mentioned before, the washing machine effect of being around so many swinging arms and kicking legs and bubbles causing stress and extremely limited vision. The second part for me was the fear of drowning. Very early on in my swim training when I was first learning to swim for distance I convinced myself that I could push my limits because if I was ever in trouble I could just simply reach out and grab the lane marker. In that environment, safety was just an arm's length away. That isn't the case in the triathlons. Yes, I know there are volunteers there for safety, but they have more people to keep an eye on than just me. As much as I have been able to swim up to 1.2 miles in the pool, I still have that fear in the back of my head that I could drown. I am strongly considering a personal swim safety device like the Swim It. I hope to never need it, but maybe knowing I have it on would help me relax?