kaqphin (Super Cat's) Mentor group - CLOSED (Page 22)

Wow T that looks goood - I LOVE cupcakes!!!

For the record the cupcake is from T (Theresa) who is an Ironman Finisher and already training for more races this year! 

now I have a craving for cupcakes!!!

and I just want to add again that I totally endorse strength training!!!! It's having wonderful effects on my swim! and cat, my abs are begging for the best beating you can throw at them - but only when you get a chance-no rush

Ok.... ab workout number 1:

Spidermans (10) straight into Step ups (with hands in push up position onto a step) x3

WoodChoppers (with cables at gym) 10 left side/ 10 right side x 3

Leg Lowers - single arm and opposing arm lowered then switch, 10 each leg straight into 'pilates crunch' - crunch up then pulse gently for a count of 10 x 3

Finally... front hover (bridge) into side hover, back to centre then to other side x 3

And to finish up... some lower back crunches or supermans to balance it out!

Clear as mud?

Update - hi team, I just went to the doc today and have a full blown case of the flu.  So, no working out of any kind for at least a few days.  Doc gave me a flu med and a painkiller because I am in an emense amount of pain from head to toe.  For any of you that have had the flu, you know what I am talking about. 

I hope everyone has a great Thursday and weekend.

Im sorry you are sick... I mreally happy you have the common sense to rest up and get better instead of pushing through!!!!

Take Care!

Oh man... take care of yourself and get better.  Sleep lots!

And I am definitely a convert.  Rest weeks really work!!!!

But I am still not looking forward to the tapering insanity that begins again soon. 

So I 'think'Im running the next challenge over in the challenge forum for March... its been a few months since I ran one (last year I did July, October nad December) and Im probably going to do a cycle challenge...

Not sure if anyone is interested but I thought I would give you a heads up....

I know there were a couple of people (LYSSA!) who mentioned they are very new to cycling, this might be a good chance to look at cycling training/equipment or anything else you are interested in?

Have fun with the challenge Cat, I would do it, but March is full for me already as it's the month I become a TRIATHLETE! WOOHOO! Jeni reminded me it was only two weeks--wow! Exciting and a little nervous about it.  I am all for some tips on the bike, learning about it as that is the area I am MOST unfamiliar with. So anything y'all have will be great. 
Pam- have fun with the race. Dia- FEEL BETTER! Yucky...

Recovery is going well--no major soreness anymore, but I can tell the legs are generally fatigued some, and that's expected.  I am going on my FIRST group (3 makes a group, right?) bike ride tomorrow.  The plan is an easy 2 hours as one of the other ladies also did the Mary last weekend (apparently she BQ'd her first marathon with a very similiar time to mine back in Dec...our coach said she's afraid for us to get together and share the craziness).  Everyone have a GREAT weekend!

Bike advice learned the hard way this week.

1)if you tend to get saddle sore spots use chamois butter

2)if you forgot your chamois butter on one long ride DO NOT go on another long ride until the spots are completely healed.

 All i can say is it hurts to wear jeans right now.

Wow--makes me very glad that I use the Chamois Butter liberally.  I had my first group ride (3 of us) today--all triathletes (well, they are, I will be two weeks from TODAY!) and it was nice...not too much as two of us did the Mary last weekend.  Anyhow, felt great...I also got new goggles today (others died last week) as my others pretty much died last week.  Glad to join these two for rides--they're both training for a HIM (same day/location I'm doing the Oly) end of March.  So, I'm VERY happy to have some people to workout with here.

My legs are feeling great, and they've been fine not running this week (minus a game of flickerball yesterday), but they are starting to ask for it--so I'm going to do a light one tomorrow! 

Ow ow ow!

One other basic rule (which everyone here probably knows) is NEVER EVER wear underwear under your cycle shorts... defeats the purpose of wearing the shorts in the first place!

Oh and a 'just us girls' tip... regular maintenance in your sitting area helps too... Im not suggesting you have to wax away anything... but keeping things short means less friction and difficulties in some sensitive areas... (was that subtle enough?)

Hi Lyssa - the thing with gears is practice! In terms of getting a feel for when you need to change up or change down...

On a hill I find if you change a little earlier than you absolutley need to you seem to save your legs much better (unless you run out of gears of course!)

I agree on your decision not to take too much on this year... it sounds like you have a lot of non tri stuff on your plate and its probably best not to get to the point where racing is just another stress because that will take the fun out of it!

The Danksin races always look like a lot of fun so Im sure you will have a great time!!!

Cat

Jeni sent me some bike mojo today and it totally worked!! Thanks lady! I had a great brick--first time the legs had run since last Sunday, and I think it was the right time to wait, and I just did a 5K. 

Lyssa- totally hear you on the schedule deal--that's why so much of my stuff is front loaded with nothing specifically planned between between end of March and October.  I'll be trying to sell my house, be in a wedding in Seattle, interview for jobs, outprocess the Army, and move to who knows where in that time frame.  I'll add a few things (I want another 1/2 Mary in May I think) I'm sure, but don't want to commit until I know I can!

I hope everyone had a good weekend and has a great week!

Hiya - just wanted to let everyone know Ive posted up this months challenge here:

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=104897&posts=1#M1233112

Its a cycle challenge and open to anyone who will be on a bike in March!

Lyssa, spend $50 and have the bike shop put on the smoothest tires that will fit your wheels.  It will make such a difference riding on the roads. See if they'll double check your fit at the same time. And there is nothing wrong with a mountain bike.  I had a triathlete with a mountain bike and clip on aero bars leave me in the DUST on thursday.  A huge headwind stopped me and my light 17lb bike in our tracks and he was flying!!

Spend some time just switching gears in a little flat area to see what they will do.  I hate it when I want an easier gear and shift the wrong direction and suddenly have a harder gear. The best thing for me and gearing was finally getting a computer that had a cadence.  Now I set the screen to my speed and my cadence and try to keep my cadence in a certain range and switch gears accordingly.  hi cadence in key.  I was reading a Chris Carmichael book (Lance's coach) and he recommends new cyclist get used to spinning at 95rpm and once that feels natural then lower it slightly and experiment with what feels the most efficient. It seems to be working for me.

Here's one I learned on my club ride Saturday that hopefully I can explain.  When thinking about gears try not to be "big small" or "small big"  In other words you don't want to be in the big ring in front and a small gear in back or in a small ring in front and a big gear in the back.  This puts pressure on your derailler and stretches your chain.

Just think that for every hill you make it up it means you get to ride down a hill. Weeeeee!!!!! 

This is great advice Lyssa - I have a pair of slicks on my mountain bike and it makes a HUGE difference - plus riding a slightly heavier bike (as mountain bikes tend to be) will make you stronger and faster riding in the long term!

Also avoid small-small gears as thats how you drop a chain (coming from experience) which is really scary if yuo dont know what youve done or how to fix it... (a few years ago I had to flag down a cyclist to help because I was freaking out about it!!)

maybe its big big, small small.  oh now I'm confused again. the idea behind it is to avoid the chain traveling in a diagonal across the gears.  so yeah it must be big big and small small.

ok went and found a good explanation:

"Try to avoid the gears that make the chain cross over at an extreme angle. These "criss-cross" gears are bad for the chain and sprockets. Especially bad is to combine the inside (small) front sprocket with the outside (small) rear sprocket. This noisy, inefficient gear causes the chain to wear out prematurely."

thanks sheldon   http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears.html 

h... yeah thats what I was always told... avoid small small and big big.... Im bad I oftne end up with small small when out on the road...

Then again I dont have a very quick pedal stroke either over anything but short distances...

FYI - i find things like one legged drills nad pedalling drills/cadence work much easier on a trainer than on the road... too many other things to think about when riding in the big wide world!

h... yeah thats what I was always told... avoid small small and big big.... Im bad I oftne end up with small small when out on the road...

Then again I dont have a very quick pedal stroke either over anything but short distances...

FYI - i find things like one legged drills nad pedalling drills/cadence work much easier on a trainer than on the road... too many other things to think about when riding in the big wide world!