Matt Gilmartin's Group- CLOSED~ we're swimming! (Page 22)

Catie...good luck on your test and with your foot cramps...and enjoy your massage!

Sheryl

Steve, I think Aaron answered this pretty well.  First, do you want to train on HR or RPE?  Decide which, because RPE is going to change on a billion different factors and can differ from day to day.  I'd highly recommend defining your HR zones and sticking to them.  The key to early training is to build base, not anaerobic endurance, so follow your HR and you'll be better off in the long run.  Does this make sense?

Catie, glad you got some good advice.  Just a suggestion though- forget about weight loss the week before a race.  Weight loss should be done early in the season- at this point just get your nutrition straight and you'll be fine.

BTW- why is Australia referred to as Oz?  You're not the only Aussie I've seen say that- it's pretty cool, IMHO.

Sorry I didn't explain that better. I had printed off the RPE chart that was with the training plan and added my heart rate data to it. The planned workout was an easy run at RPE 2 ending at RPE 3. According to the heart rate data, I should have been at 110-120. I guess I was trying to use the heart rate to coincide with the RPE level of the training plan. I do plan to train with heart rate but was trying to match the level of effort/pace of the training plan.

This probably isn't any more clear than the original post but I'm hopeful. Thanks again,

Steve

If you plan to train with HR zones, stick it.  I don't train with HR simply because I learned to train by RPE, and don't want to buy a HR monitor.  HRZ training keeps you more stable throughout your training and can help you build your endurance more effectively.  It also takes away most of the variance in training imparted everday life (stress, fatigue, happiness, etc..).  I may move over to HR zone training in a few years when I move up to longer distances (1/2 iron or ultra-marathon).

If you want a RPE/HR zone comparison just in case you don't have your HR monitor or just for kicks, look at the Borg RPE guide I hyperlinked from the CDC.  The Borg RPE numbers are based on population average HR/10. i.e. RPE 12 = population average 120 bpm. 

Thanks for the info. I am going to stick with the heart rate training.  I basically went back through the beginner half ironman program and figured out where my heart rate should be in comparison to the RPE value for the workout. I appreciate all the explanation and assistance in figuring all this new stuff out.

Steve

So we bought my kids each a new wetsuit and my sons wetsuit came in yesterday. It was supposed to come with a protective carrying case/transition bag, but it was not with the suit. I sent the company an e-mail stating that it did not arrive with the suit and if it was shipped separately, when should we be expecting it. My husband got a phone call today from the company stating that the bag was big and that it would fit an adult size wetsuit, but a youth wetsuit would only take up 1/4 of the bag. She said that she thought it was too big and asked my husband if we still wanted it  He said yes that we did so we could use it for transporting the suit to races. She said she would put it in the mail and it would be about two weeks before it arrives.

My question is, if the item description states that it comes with a bag and the card attached to the wetsuit states that it comes with a bag, how do you, as a retailer, decide not to send the item? How do you say "Oh, this is too big, so I won't send it" and think the consumer will be okay with paying for an item and not getting everything that is supposed to come with it? Sometimes people boggle my mind...

Okay, rant over...

Was my last training session today - went for a swim at the pool after work and did 4 x 200m swims.  Last 200m was done in 4 mins, so I am happy with that. Hopefully the ocean currents behave on Sunday and don't add too much to my time... Will keep you posted.

I realised today that I would be better off eating a little more than usual or I am not going to have enough energy to get through the race.  Thanks for the advice about when to focus on my weight loss.  I will get back to it in a week.

Now, about 'Oz'... I'm not sure why we actually call it 'Oz' but it could be because of the pronunciation of the word Aussie.  We pronounce it as 'ozzie', which is slightly different to your pronunciation of the word (okay - so it sounds like Americans and Canadians say Ar-ssie - which is how we pronounce arse (as in bum)).  Another train of thought could be that we are like the land of Oz - a mysterious land that is far far away from the rest of the world.  So it could have come from The Wizard of Oz.

Side note:  Talking pronunciation... the animal 'Emu' is pronounced Eem-you.  I have a friend from Portland who now lives here in Brisbane and it took her years of practicing Emu with her husband before she could say Eemyou.

Now your turn... what do we pronounce wrong?

Mariah, Amazon is fanatical about customer service.  Complain for sure and see what they'll do for you.  At the very least you'll prevent someone else from having the same issue.

Remember- the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Catie- LOL- I think I say "Ossy", but that's because I have a Chicago accent.  Maybe it sounds more like "Ah-see" LOL

I also think it's funny how you refer to friends as "mate".  I read Macca's book last year (it's awesome if you guys were wondering" and he must use the word "mate" 250 times.  It's a word most Americans use to refer to their romantic partners, and it seems predominant in the gay community here.  I rarely referred to my ex-wife as my mate, but I know lots of people who do.

Being from Chicago originally, our English is pretty unique.  I moved back here from Colorado in November, and I forgot how everyone says "puh-tay-tuh" and "tuh-may-tuh" for potato and tomato.  The idea of a living room being referred to as the "front room" with the pronunciation being "fron troom" is also very Chicago.  LOL  One of my favorites has to be soda pop.  We call it "pop". Everywhere else it seems to be "soda".  I like to annoy my east and west coast friends by saying "sure, I'll have a pop"... they think I want to be punched or something.

We call it 'soft drink'!  I call my brother 'Mate' as a nickname... so nothing to do with 'partners' over here!  You guys have so many different accents, we kinda do, but not as distinct as you guys, more just different words for things (eg little hot doggy looking sausages where I live now are called 'cherios' but where I grew up are called 'little boys').  I have a friend who grew up in Long Island and while I was visiting her (now in Boston) I tried to get her to teach me some words... COMPLETE FAIL!  Hard to do that accent with our accent.

Steve- that is awesome news! I'm looking forward to getting you fast in the water

Although I hit the 600 post milestone and am now considered an "Expert".  I'd use that term loosely!

This has been somewhat of an "off" week for me as well due to various work commitments and such.

First tri coming up in 15 days!

Funny, I am just getting back into it to start this month after taking it easy the last week of January. A good rest week can really help me though, at least a good4-5 days anyway.

Any last second tips before tomorrow morning?  A colleague gave me a good one, cut down on the amount of fibre I eat today as I don't want to suddenly need to to to the loo in the middle of it all.  That will prove hard for me because I eat vegetables with every meal, my aim today is to cut down on my greens and all the delicious summer fruit I have been eating... I will miss you peaches!

So I am taking it easy today, no training at all.  Hearing test this morning, run around to try to find some tri shorts and some kind of contraption to keep my boobs in line!(I had ordered the 2XU top and shorts that were recommended by ?Robin, but they were delayed in getting out to me and didn't make it in time - how this is possible when the 2XU store is about 3km from my house is anyone's guess), then hot foot it up the coast to the beautiful Caloundra to put my bike in transition (new word for me, and really I have no idea what that means!) then to a tri clinic so I learn how to do transitions and answer Angie, my brothers and my (our little team of budding triathletes) questions about what in the world we do tomorrow morning.

I'm thinking I may be starting to freak out a little!!!!!  What if I haven't trained enough?  Just get through the swim - don't drown!  I can always ride like an old lady and walk if I have to... just don't drown!  What on Earth have I gotten myself into?................ breathe

You are going to do fine, just remember to have fun! Can't wait to hear how it went!

Take it easy?  I've already run almost 15 miles this week, put in 2 swims and I've got a 12.5 mile run tomorrow!

Next week will begin with a good bike, but then it'll settle down, a couple of swims and maybe only 16 miles running next week.