Todd's Tri Turtles 3 (Beginner, Sprint, 5K, 10K) Basically Closed (Page 23)

Hi Turtles

In my home town of Melbourne we have a saying: "If you don't like the weather wait an hour because it will change". The weather here this week has varied a lot from warm, sunny spring days to cold, windy winter like days. This really impacts training, particularly the open water swim. On Thursday we trained in the bay in fairly choppy conditions but if you race in it you must train in it. We had another swim scheduled for Saturday but it was too rough so we went for a run and practiced T1 drills. I'm training with a group now and I'm doing more & training smarter. It's a real benefit.

The challenge I have is that I need to build my endurance and balance that with adequate rest between sessions so I don't get to the starting line feeling tired or stressing out my body. Has anybody else been through this? If so, how did you find the right balance?

Rod

I set a new 5K PR over the weekend with a time of 22 min 27 sec. It was a great race. The first half was trail running, which was new to me, but a lot of fun darting around trees and over bridges. I felt like my pace (7 min 14 sec/ mi) was fairly solid throughout. I think this will be my last run of the year - but I plan to keep the daily training up.

Rod - I doubled my training time last month and I'm building up my endurance as well. I noticed that I had notably less energy per workout over the first couple of weeks, so I adjusted my pace accordingly. For instance I usually run 8 min miles, but instead I as running 9 or 9.5 min miles. Now I'm feeling a lot stronger. Keep up the great workout routine.

First off Patrick congrats on the PR but then again I called it before you told us

Rod, what Patrick said is very correct. Not everything needs to be at or near high intensity. Some of training just strictly needs to be about covering a distance / time with limited effort. A lot of this is why I do so much training by heart rate. It is amazing how much your heart rate can tell you about the current condition of your body.

As far as rest days, I can tell you the biggest thing is to learn the difference in your body needing to take a day off and your mind / body just not really feeling like working out. I know it sounds goofy but it is true. Some of the best advice that I have ever been given about rest days is this: You can have a rest day and still have worked out every day that week. How? By planning your training schedule to maximize recovery. ie. Schedule - Long Run Monday 6:00 a.m., Tuesday - Medium Swim 7 p.m. you have now had a break of over 24 hours between workouts and therefore have basically got a rest day. What I / he was saying is that if you play with the times of your workouts and mix up how and what you put where (intensity / discipline) you can give your body a recovery without an entire day off. I am not telling you to ignore your body, if you need a day or two off by all means take it, I am just trying to give you some options on how you can approach things.

Thanks for the tips Patrick & Todd

Just back from a run. No timing / technology, just a slow steady run. I surprised myself at the distance I was able to cover non stop with a slow jog rather than the run / walk method I've been using. It was a confidence booster and I also feel a lot better after the run.


Rod

Hi Turtles

Had another solid week of training with sessions covering swim, bike, run & transitions.

The training group I'm in has some great coaches and we've been focusing on technique in all disciplines by doing a lot of drills. We spent an hour practicing the flying mount we had some hair raising moments but it looks like a time saver. I've also ordered some elastic laces for my runners and tri shoes for the bike. Looking forward to using the tri shoes on the bike as my current riding shoes take forever to get on and off at any time .

The coaches have echoed Todd & Patrick's advice about slow & steady and focusing on technique.

I was out of bed at 5:15 to go swimming this morning. Nearly didn't go but I'm so glad I did as I learned so much.

Rod

I'm not sure when I'll be ready for a flying mount, but that's awesome you guys are practicing that. I got up at 5AM to day for spin class. After about 4 weeks of spin class I'm noticing a big change in my leg strength and stamina. Since I'm fighting a cold, I'm going to skip the pool this week and stick with light workouts on the treadmill and bike.

Hi Turtles

It's now only 1 week to my first tri. It's been a long but enjoyable preparation.

On Saturday I did a trial run that was a bit longer than the race and "survived". They're going to need a calendar rather than a stop watch to time me but it's all about participation and hopefully enjoying the success of completing the event. The conditions in the bay can vary greatly and I'm feeling anxious about the swim. I'll just have to deal with the conditions on the day.

Thanks for the support along the way

Rod

Rod, you are going to do great and have worked hard for the right to do so. Man, I got to tell you I just about fell out of my chair when I read the calendar comment. You are absolutely correct about the swim, take it for what it is, but most of all remain calm. A mouth full of water or a wave across the face can make even a good swimmer panic. You have practiced in it and are ready for whatever it is on that day, just remind yourself that you have already handled bad conditions. Best of luck, but I am positive that you will be fine and know that your time will be better than you're giving yourself credit for.

Go Get Um Rod

Good luck Rod, can't wait to hear how it goes!

Thanks for the words of encouragement Gents.

Hi Turtles

I'm now a triathlete................Race 1 completed.

I'm feeling pretty happy with myself having completed my first race. The conditions were perfect: The sun was shining, there was no wind and the bay was flat. My first race was a Beginner race: 150 metres swim, 7 kms ride & 1200 metres run although I think there was an extra 200 - 300 metres run in and out of transition. I know these aren't big numbers but for a 57 year old with one good knee it's a good place to start. I completed the course in 36 minutes.

The highlights were support and encouragement from other competitors and the crowd and the new friends I made. I survived the swim by getting a few metres of backstroke in while I caught my breath, had a good bike ride and struggled in the run.

Two hours following a light training session on Saturday my left knee was really swollen. I spent the remainder of the day with my leg either elevated, under an ice pack or with a compression bandage on. My knee gave out about 400 metres into today's run and I was about to start walking when I came across another competitor who had given up. I grabbed him and told him we'd walk together, after 100 metres we resumed jogging and I left him after a further 200 metres and waited for him at the finish line.

I've really enjoyed the transition from couch potato to becoming active. I took some measurements in January when I decided to do a tri. Back then I could swim 15 metres and run 50 metres before I'd run out of puff. I was also 14 kg (31 lbs) heavier then.

I don't think there was a day that I didn't check this forum. Thanks to all the Turtles for their tips and sharing their experiences. It really helped to keep me focused. I'm off to the Doctor tomorrow to get my knee checked out, his advice will determine how I prepare for my next race in 6 weeks.


Rod

Great job TRIATHLETE, you really earned the right to toe the line and finish. Also a big hat tip for helping out a fellow participant during the race. I know for me it helps pick me up when I make a positive comment to another during my races. Again congrats and great job.

Congratulations completing your first triathlon!

Take care of that knee and keep the momentum going.

I set a new personal record today. Swam 2,000 yards nonstop and did it at a pace of 2 min 1s/100 yards, which is fast for me.

You're a machine Patrick

Hi Turtles

It's now 2 weeks since my first race and It has been a period of mixed emotions. I now want to compete in my age group rather than just complete the event but my knee continues to give me trouble so any training has been out of the question. I feel like I'm only a 20% chance of of entering Race 2 in mid January. I'm aiming for Race 3 in the series which is mid February.

I've prepared a revised training plan focusing on what I can do; lots of swimming,upper body work ,walking and knee strengthening exercises. I'm going for a ride this afternoon but I fear I may aggravate the problem. I'll take it easy and see how it goes. The other thing I have to watch is my diet because I'm not burning as many calories as when I'm training.

Looks like most of the Turtles are hibernating for winter. It's been very quiet on the forum. Any news?

Rod

Rod,
Sorry to hear of the knee problems.

Next and please understand where I am coming from and what I'm saying which is not meant to be negative in an way but is more of a cautionary tale of what I have seen in my 4 or so years in this sport. Do not get hung up in the podium idea. It is a great goal but for some the areas they live, their natural ability, and long term injuries and problems just make it almost impossible. What I am saying is that training only gets you so far. You can train your butt off but have to have the natural ability to run a six minute mile. You might cap out at 7:30, which is really good but if you always race against three 6 min. Milers you've already given up 4.5 minutes to them in a sprint. Add in knee injuries and pushing to hard for that goal and you're left sitting on the couch on race day. There is nothing wrong with never stepping foot on the podium and if you become consumed with it you will not be in this sport for long even if you're on the podium. Challenge yourself, inspire others, take it for what it is, and you will find joy regardless of where you finish. The funny thing is that we want the podium, but for some who travel to a race no one knows who you are or will remember your name. All I'm saying is try hard, be yourself, and you will find that the most important podium is in your own head!!!

As for me I'll get back at it but work has gotten even worse, and I do miss working out.

Hey Todd

Agree 100% with your comments. To me it's a shift in mindset from just wanting to finish the race to doing the best I can and getting better each race

I would like to finish a race this season in the top 50% of the field but won't loose any sleep if I don't.

Rod

Hey Rod,

Sorry to hear about the knee. I'm very competitive with myself as well. I want to kick old-me's butt every time. You have the right attitude by adjusting your training routine to adapt. Think of this time as an investment. Right now you're building a stronger base so that in the future you'll be more resistant to injuries. Best of luck.

For me, besides recovering from a really long cold, I'm trying to build up my base in all three disciplines this winter. I'd really like to get my running up to about 10 miles per week. Most of all, I want to stay injury free. I was injured a lot last year, so I keep reminding myself to take it slow. If I can stay injury free, I'd like to do an Ironman 70.3 in New Hampshire next August.