Ryan Mac’s HIM Focus Group - CLOSED (Page 23)

The reason I ask is because of the variability of course lengths.  Sometimes I will feel great and look at my watch out of the swim and it is way slower than what I would have anticipated.  So, I usually judge myself against other guys I know of as you have.  Keep at it - usually the comfortably uncomfortable comes with just racing more so not all too surprising coming from the off season.

Hey guys, 

I need to catch up a bit - we had a very stressful week last week and workouts were not a priority at all.

though, i did make it to swim on Wednesday and managed a decent 400m benchmark result - 7:55. I am pretty happy with that. Not blazing at all but a good result for me. I felt like i paced it well

So, on Thursday, we took our little one to a kids' clinic because she just wasn't getting better - she'd been sick since Monday and she was continuing to have a fever.  I had taken her to her doctor on Tuesday and everything was okay.  Anyway, we ended up being admitted to hospital and staying for three nights.  She may have asthma but was also at risk for pneumonia.  Her oxygen saturation was low and she was a bit dehydrated.  Definitely a very stressful and difficult time.  She's not quite two years old so watching her go through it made us feel very powerless. 

Thankfully we're at home and she seems to be perking up.  (We've watched Frozen about a thousand times) - i managed to get to swimming yesterday and did my hour run (which is usually today) yesterday.  Nothing wrong with getting a bit ahead on training especially when i had some unintended rest days. 

The weather is really getting great so it's time to think about getting the bike outdoors and to start bike commuting to work! 

Jen - It is always very difficult when the little ones are sick.  I know with our almost 2 year old, that he still cannot tell you exactly what is wrong which always makes it harder.

He also got diagnosed with asthma and has been taking breathing treatments for the last year.  It seems to really help.  Prior to those it took him forever just to get rid of a common cold or any sickness really. 

Be prepared for Frozen 2 .

Good ride for me today with main set at 4x6 minutes Z4 power.  So glad to be riding outside again.  The forecast is 60 degrees and sunny all week.  Amazing how that makes training so much more fun again especially after a long winter.

Thanks for sharing. I've been seeing a ton of programs on tv about Australia and it sounds like an awesome place. And not just because we're only just now coming out of the deep freeze.

I live right in Toronto which is a pretty big city but has some excellent training areas. This is the waterfront trail: The city's been investing over the last number of years in parks along the waterfront and this is a bridge that i cross very frequently on my runs (and often on my bike) - it's about 3km from my house.  This spot also connects into a pathway system that is really nice along a river. 

And here is a beach that i do open water swimming. It looks really nice here but you have to drive through some depressing industrial areas to get there.  It's usually very cold to swim in.  It's super popular though. there are shallows markers so it gives people something to follow when swimming but in the summer it's fully of canoes, kayaks, motor boats, kite surfers. 

Ryan, that's really nice! 

I stole my images from Google ... I was hoping for some of the skyline because there are several points on the waterfront trail where there are stunning views of the skyline. 

Anyway, training is going well. 

Not sure if i mentioned it or not but I recently finished a 'challenge' with my husband.  I gave up junk food snack from March 9-April 9. This was a big challenge for me - i love all the junk and would pretty much have some sort of 'treat' every day. It went really well and just as the challenge was ending my little one was sick so i did eat some junk but i am kind off it now again. I am really pleased with how i feel and the fact that I am generally eating more fruits/veg for snacks and cutting out so much refined sugar. I don't feel like i am denying myself - i can have it if i really want it - but it's nice not to want it and have created the habit of not reaching for it when i feel hungry. 

Crazy, i haven't had potato chips or ice cream since before March 9! 

So I know at least a few of us are racing Galveston 70.3 this weekend -- how's everyone feeling? 

I had a pretty consistent training block, so I have a decent amount of fitness, but I never was able to get back to where I was last year.  Had a lot of stress in my life, so I suspect I wasn't recovering well, and have since changed my race plans / goals....really just looking to get out there, push myself a bit, and get an idea of where I am so I can target some improvements for a late season race (still TBD).

I did manage to "break" my wetsuit on Saturday (that's what I get for being a couple pounds over last years' race weight!) -- the slider came off the track and I can't seem to get it back on.  I'm taking it to a tailor today to see if they have any more luck, but I expect I'll just have to replace the zipper altogether.  Unfortunately, will probably be borrowing a wetsuit for the race.  Oh well, rollin' with the punches!

I will definitely be rooting for you out there in Galveston! 

Here's hoping for good weather and light winds! :D 

I think you both are taking the right approach.  Obviously, have to deal with the cards you are dealt, whether it be injuries or just life getting in the way.

Have a great race and look forward to hearing about it.

Tough week of training scheduled for me this week.  I am definitely paying attention to recovery, sleep and nutrition.  Otherwise I seem to get sick during weeks like this.

Ran 16 miles yesterday and it started snowing half way through.  A nice 'what the hell' moment.  4000 in the pool today.  Rest of the week is mainly big bike volume and run quality with a tough brick scheduled for Sunday.

I am planning on a 25k (15.5 miles) run race in 2 weeks.  That distance kinda scares me so a little nervous about it.  I still feel like it is a distance you can run fast but long enough to really trash me.  Probably going to be racing every 2-3 weeks for the next 2-3 months with a mix of triathlon and run races.

I'm kinda hoping for strong winds and hot/humid conditions....that'll suit me better than most coming from out of state

Sorry, Marc!  

Honestly, though, the weather does look pretty decent.  Low of 73, high of 81, winds around 15mph -- forecasting a possibility of rain (thunderstorm) in the mid-afternoon, but those usually come and go over a short period (and it's ~40% chance, so I don't expect it'll be an issue).  Regardless, I'm just looking to go out and have a good time.  I have a pretty good idea of what I'll be able to do on each of the three legs, so planning to pace accordingly!

Good luck to those doing Galveston this weekend. Hope the weather won't be too brutal. When I did it 2 years ago we had mostly cross winds on the bike course with a slight headwind on the way back. I remember the temps were not too bad that day....strange 3 lap run course with no shade. Post last names or race numbers if you are comfortable. I always like to see how folks are doing and know others doing the race as well.

Bib #328

Have a great race Nicole & Marc!

Absolutely it is.  I would say that I have really only had 1 good HIM run (out of 7 or so) and that was my very first where I biked well within myself and run conditions were absolutely unbelievable for a fast run.

The problem for me is that I do not want to give any time away and I want to race on the edge.  My HIM last year I biked 2:24 and ran 1:37 (good conditions) and then biked 2:22 and ran 1:47 (hot run).  Neither did I run even close to well.  The 1:37 I walked at least a portion of every mile of the last half of the run.  My run training was minimal last year though (less than 25mpw most weeks)

It is extremely difficult to adjust to conditions in a race that long.  You can be good at one point and then the sun beats down and you are fried.  That is what makes the distance so hard to figure out for me.

This year I feel pretty strong on the run so will be interesting to see how this year turns out for me.  Maybe I can figure it out .

Hey - awesome job to Nicole and Marc!!! Great results for early season!

So, i ran a 10k race yesterday. I didn't train specifically for it. It's a race i've been to every year and raced all but two. They raffle off a year-lease to a Mercedes at the post-race. All finishers are eligible so it's pretty cool. But I still haven't won - hahaha! 

Anyway, I ran a really solid race - i decided to use it as a heart rate test and to gauge my fitness basically. In December I ran 48:44 as a PB on that distance on a flatter course where I specifically trained for it.  So, i came in 50:03 and I was pretty spent but I felt really good about that result. Of course I would have like those 4 seconds to go under 50 but whatevs. I ran hard and kept the mental strength up when it would have been easy to slow  (the 5k race merges with the 10k in the last 3k so we we ended up merging with the slower end of the 5k group and have to do dodging and weaving to keep up the pace - really easy to give in then) 

In training for faster results I've noticed a huge gain when i focus on foot cadence. Taking smaller, quicker steps makes such a huge difference. Do you have any other little tricks, either mental or physical to break through speed barriers? 

Nice job Jen!  Sounds like you gave it your all.

The only advice I would have is to try to include really tough efforts in training that test your mental fortitude.  Alot of folks have a hard time doing that unless it is a race.  But if done periodically, it really helps in a race situation to embrace the suck as they say and push on.

Also, great job to Marc & Nicole.  I saw Nicole was 5:31 and Marc at 4:58 finish times.  The swim times looked slower across the board, including pros.  Was the swim long or just tough conditions?

Swim turned out to be wetsuit optional -- the wetsuit wave (the last one for the day) was pretty huge, but most went without a wetsuit, which is why the swim was slow.  The water, however, was as calm as I've ever seen it!

Bike was cool, windy, and had some rain....of course, the sun came out for the run!  I'm writing up a race report now, but I'm happy with how the race went.  It was about as I'd expected it, given my current fitness; I was thinking I'd be faster on the run, but for the first time ever, I actually moved up in my AG on the run, rather than watching my hard work pass me by, so I'm very pleased!