The Frozen (not so) North Mentor Group - CLOSED (Page 22)

I wouldn't make too many changes at this point - but one hill session a week would be a great addition to your plan, but not changing the overall distance run for the week. Also - Lovey's idea of running the actual route a couple of times is a great plan...if anything to just calm the nerves.

Yeah - as to the snow - 10 inches, snow day for the kids, we lost power for 4 hours in the middle of the day (no power = no water and no heat for us)...seems like a bit of a cruel April Fools joke on us.

Hope all is well with everyone!

We did get snow, and ice, and sleet, and slush. 

In terms of getting ready for hill running, I'd say just run more.  Be careful adding too much hill work too fast - that's inviting injury. Are the roads around you hilly at all?  If so, I'd just run on them and become a stronger runner.

During the race, just take the pace slower and keep the RPE the same as the flats (or close).  And the really unfortunate truth is that hill running (and biking) is really about power/weight ratio, so the lighter runners/bikers have a huge advantage.  Finishing a hilly course is a great accomplishment, so just enjoy the experience and as you're doing - change your goals.

Thanks for the input guys/gals.  I will try to get out and run the course at least once.  I did the bike course last year and will again 2x at least this year.  

Good luck Jennifer!  Your training has been awesome! Are you running with snow shoes...haha. I hope you get a nice day.

Have a good weekend to everyone! Keep training

From the "Queen" of going from flat to hilly....here's my advice.... don't let it get in your head and you'll be fine. I know easier said than done, but that's how I survived at first and now have slowly added hills to training. I watched and heard tons of people drop off by trying to run, bike too hard.  Easy Steady Pace beats the hills.

Good Luck Jennifer!!

I hope you guys up north have some of this nice weather we are experiencing.  I was able to actually ride outside for the 1st time this year.  My bike is awesome, rode some good hills and will add this route to my training.  It also will be good neighborhood to run.

Jennifer - Cannot wait to read your race report.  

How's everyones Sunday?

That's awesome news Scott.  I can't wait to get my bike outside, but I'm too lazy to take the garbage tire off until I know I'm done for the year on the trainer.  We still have some snow in the forecast so it'll be a while more.

Weather was definitely better today.  Warmer (50) and sunny.  But the wind was BRUTAL.  I just got back from a long run and it was tough to maintain forward progress at times.  My wife said NOAA showed gusts to 35, and I believe it.  Hopefully Jennifer's race was over before the winds really picked up this afternoon.

Finally home - finished with the second half marathon for this year...only two more to go. It was a beautiful clear day - nice and sunny, but wickedly windy. Lots of gusts which seemed to hit right as I was attempting to go up a hill. The course is lovely - but it is a challenging one...part of the course was on a dirt road that really suffered this winter - lots of pot holes, ruts and mud, and HILLY. No outrageous long hills, just lots of relentless rollers.

According to my watch, my time was 2:16...but haven't been able to find the results online yet for the chip time. I am consoling my self with the fact that is the same time as the Hyannis race - on a much harder course. I will get to a race report sometime tomorrow.

Hope you all enjoyed the nice weather this weekend!

Congratulations, Jennifer, on such a great race time with such a hilly course on a windy day! 

Weather improving here - beautifully sunny today, though not yet warm enough (for a California kid) to ride a bike in the wind. Soon....

Headed to a conference this week so need to squeeze swimming into the next two mornings at the university pool, which is colder than the pool at the swim clinic. Always hate bringing work clothes into the gym and getting ready for work in the locker room. But just two days and then I'll be able to get my bikes/jogs in while in Boston.

How's everyone else doing?

Jennifer - Way to go on your race.  Considering the course and the conditions you did a great job!!

The weather here looks to be in the upper 70's...I possible I may try to sneak outta work early, I'm thinking a 1/2 day!  Another bike day would be in the plan

Nice race Jennifer, funny how we always feel the wind in our face no matter which direction we're going when it's uphill

Question about bike tires. I have gotten a flat the last 3 out of 4 times I've ridden. I checked the rim and tire for some small issue and haven't found anything. My husband suggested that now that I'm riding in higher heat, maybe the higher temps, once I get up and moving is causing expansion and that's causing the problem??? Sounds crazy to me, but yesterday I rode almost 6 miles with a low/flat tire (only because someone who shall remain nameless used the co2 and didn't replace it!)

Any thoughts

Based on my extremely limited experience with flats (I have had one with my current bike - and I've had this bike for about 12 years...), I would take the tire off the rim, take the innertube out of the tire, put a crummy pair of panty hose or tights on over your hand and rub over the rim (where it comes into contact with the innertube) and the inside of the tire to see if there is something snagging.

There are lots of other things it may be - your stem may not be pulled out enough (after repair), the tube may be getting pinched, etc...if you can't find a rough place on the inside of the tire/rim and you're pretty comfortable with your skillz...I would take it to the LBS and have them take a look.

That's gotta be frustrating. I wish I had something really concrete to suggest. You *could* always just get new wheels

Race report is up here

I am pretty trashed - and was wiped out at the finish. It really is making me question my sanity wanting to tack a 56 mile bike ride and a 1.2 mile swim onto the same day. I am having a hard time reconciling my level of exhaustion at the end of races with my feeling after a training long run.

I have planned to take most of April as a "down" month - just doing whatever floats my boat exercise-wise because the HIM plan starts the last full week of April...we'll see how long I can tolerate that.

I hope everyone got something fun in this weekend!

Hey there friends.

Any links you can point me to, or advice of your own, on how to schedule in a few sprints while leading up to an Olympic? Trying to figure out if I should aim for one a month starting in June or July until my race in September. And if I do, how I combine the training plan for the Olympic with appropriate recovery time, tapering, etc.

Time to put the other races in writing and get 'em on the calendar....

I think this is really up to you.  I know where you're coming from in that I often feel like non "A" races get "in the way" of my training! 

If it isn't your main race, a sprint doesn't really require a huge taper or recovery, so it can be just a really fun, high intensity, very specific training day.  I would definitely recommend a few before your A race, simply to be around the race atmosphere. One a month sounds perfect, maybe 4-5 weeks before being the last one you do. 

Don't fret about the actual results, but focus on something specific for each race (swim relaxed, maintain cadence on bike, negative split the run, etc.)  Really work on your transitions - it's amazing how different everything is with the race adrenaline flowing.

A big part of how well race day goes is how nervous/prepared you are, so the more races you do the more familiar you are with the scene and the better the day is likely to go.

Hey, Kim -

as someone who is still just training for sprints, I obviously can't speak from experience...  but here's my thinking on how many sprints I will race this year.   I still need to build a lot of volume, so I can't really afford to taper properly too often.  For me, tapering will be important before my races since my main goal is to finish really strong - not win, but *run* the run - and I'm not yet a strong runner.  I do take a recovery week every 4th wk (with lower volume), but jump right back into to building the following week.  

I'm planning one sprint in June & one in August.  I am currently doing a bike/run brick every Sunday and will probably continue to do at least one or two of those each month through the summer (cutting back more due to time than training plan).  I'm in a sprint relay (bike only) the week after my main tri just for fun.  My training goal is to be able to complete an olympic tri by fall (thought not necessarily race one) so that I feel confident enough to register for the big local one here next Spring (sign up window is only a few hours in early fall).  I hope to do a 10K this fall & an all-day bike as well. 

My suggestion would be to layout your training plan for your olympic tri and work backwards, seeing where you could fit in a sprint or two w/o getting too far off plan.  Around here, there are a lot of short sprints - sometimes with only a 500 yard pool or lake swim, or just shorter distances all around.  They are often advertised as "family" events and are smaller, less expensive ones.  These might be something to check out if you just want to practice transitions or get a feel for doing all three sports back-back. 

Everyone is different, of course, and you may easily be able to knock out a sprint tri every month.  I'd like to get to that point, myself. 

Hey Kim,

I too am training for an Olympic. Mine is in October. I did one sprint 2 weeks ago and have 2 sprints scheduled this month. One the 16th and 1 the 30th While that may seem overly aggressive scheduling, I am doing what others have said and using them as "training days". I plan to taper just a little the weeks of the races and use the races as a chance to get the feel of the competition, what to expect, etc..so I can go intomy "A" race well prepared mentally as well as physically.

hmm... can having a fast time trial actually be a bad thing?? 

Tonight was the first meeting of our local running club's   women's 5K program.  We did a 1 mi time trial, just so we could be divided into groups for the rest of the training.   I had done a quick treadmill workout just before, where I was working on trying to run at a 10 min mile pace for 1/2 mi at a time.  (I usu feel pretty good about 11 min miles on my bike/run days)  So, wouldn't you know the pace must have stuck with me & I ran a 10:05 mile on the track.    Now for my dilemma - they made 10:30 the cutoff b/w the faster and slower runners (under 10:30 in one group, 10:30-13:00 in another).  Looking around the small group of "faster beginners", I've got a good 10-20 years on all of them & none of them looks out of shape...    So, do I pat myself on the back for a nice run tonight & then go train with the B group, where I won't be struggling to keep up?  Or do I see if I can hang with the young chickitas (and just pray I don't get injured)? 

First off - good job on the time trial.  I'm not sure about running, but I know in biking I always hear that biking with faster people really helps since it pushes you beyond what you thought you were capable of.  In running I'm a bit more leery since running too hard definitely ups the injury risk quickly, and (I know because I'm older) the older you are the worse it gets.

This is one reason I like to run alone, other than my lower effort runs.  For my main session runs, I really like to train at X pace for Y distance, and that doesn't really play well in a group setting. 

But since this is a 5k program, I bet they will have a good structured program and you can adapt your paces a bit within the faster group if you need to.  I'd say at least for a while try it out and enjoy running with the young guns.

I'd like to thank Warren and Jennifer for their knowledge, experience and time...It was nice meeting everyone and hope everyone meets and exceeds all your goals.  

We are off to the Riviera Maya, Mexico on Friday.  Tomorrow I plan to ride/run (small run) my Olympic course.  25mi bike with a small 5k through the neighborhood.  Plan on taking it slow...just want to see what I'm up against.

Keep in touch!

Happy Spring For Real to those of us in New England. What a spectacular weekend!

I did my first outdoor ride yesterday. What a breath of fresh air. Still had to wear protective ear gear to keep the wind out (windy day!) but I'm all ready to go out and do it again today.

Thanks for the great advice on combining sprints leading up to the Olympic distance. Here is what I have tentatively settled on, pending any feedback:

Burlington City Marathon, relay
Probably 5+ miles -- leg to be determined at a meeting tomorrow!
5/29/2011 in Burlington, Vermont 

On another note, I noticed that the spring/summer mentor groups opened on BT -- do the winter ones 'end' or do we keep going with whomever sticks around?

Kim 

Kim - Good choices on your race selection.  You'll do great, plus have a good time when your racing.  It is different atmoshpere race day.

As for the winter Mentor groups will stay open for whoever wants to continue. 

Just returned from rideing the bike course...25.4mi.  Was chilly this morning so much that by the time we hit the halfway mark I couldn't feel my toes.  We were on the course by 7:30am and there were already alot of other riders out there.  After the ride we took a drive through the neighborhood, as the guyw I was riding with wanted to see the neighborhood I was talking about.  He is a runner and agreed that it will be challenging...GREAT!  I was hoping that when I saw it the first time it just looked bigger than before..WRONG still as big.

Hey, Scott -  I was out on Columbia this morning as well!  I only did about 20 mi of it (took Ten Oaks to Linthicum & saved the big hills for next week...)  You weren't the only one with frozen toes, though - I couldn't feel mine for most of my run afterwards (only ~2 mi, around lake.)  I was surprised, as I didn't think it was really very cold today. 

Kim - looks like you've got some great races planned!  keep up the training!

Actually got to do my first TRI today. It was AWESOME. 2nd in my division and had a great time. Here's a lnk to a video I made from pictures my husband took! Race report to follow

http://www.youtube.com/user/WatchmeTri?blend=3&ob=5#p/a/u/0/VUhjhcczVS0