GrooveTime!group - CLOSED!!! (Page 232)

I am not really looking forward to Wasaga this weekend.   I went swimming in an outdoor pool today and the temp was 67 degrees.   I did not enjoy ONE MINUTE of it.   It took me 5 minutes before I could keep my face in the water and after 30 minutes my head hurt from the cold.   I am thinking of trying to find a neoprene cap!    I'm hoping Wasaga won't be as cold.   

Tropical Storm Hermine popped up very early Monday morning and we are having deluges of rain since about 11 am yesterday and expecting it to continue for the next day or two.  My husband left today for Northern Minnesota with my mother and drove in rain for the first 550 miles ... drove 12 hours straight all the way to Kansas City.  They'll leave early in the morning to drive 9 hours to Minneapolis to pick up my mother-in-law, then another 3 hours the following day to just a few miles from DENISE's.  Just glad that I'm flying!!

I found a place very close to my house that sells Newtowns.  Think I'm going to have to go try on a pair before I buy my next pair of shoes.

TRACEY, very impressive schedule that you have!

LISA

I'm afraid the win against TB is too little, too late for the Sox at this point, isn't it? This is the time of the year when we all say, at least football season is starting.

I gave the OWS at Sampson's Pond another honest try today. I waded in to about thigh-height but high-tailed it out of there when I realized that the pond was teeming with some sort of "flaky" debris. I don't know any other word to describe it. Every time I took a step, this white flaky stuff (almost reminded me of dandruff) got stirred up. The water would almost get murky with it. I have no idea what it was but I had no plans of putting my face in there and swallowing it. So off to the Y I went!

Okay Denise, what is this Toll House pie you speak of, and where do I find it??

Tracey

I LOVE TOLL HOUSE COOKIE PIE!!!  WHEN ARE YOU BRINGING SOME OVER???

I wonder if there is a milano cookie pie????  That would be awesome.

Nope, September 11 for me!

STEVE -

The 11th it is! I will go to the site and ferret out all of the pertinent info, and then start living vicariously through you. I have done the race that ANNE is doing, so they'll only be a small amount of vicariosity there, but Malibu? Ooo-wee!

How are you feeling for it -- ready to rock it, or going in kinda there, kinda not? I was kindatherekindanot for Half Vermont, wishing I had done some very diligent and very specific prep. Oh well.

Anyhow, i hope you're set for it and fairly psyched. Do you still think beating last year's time is attainable?

After Malibu........Silverman Half? Do I remember you saying that Pumpkinman didn't fit in your plans?

TRACEY -

I still remember back to '64, when the Phillies had a 9-game lead with 10 or 11 to play*......and lost the pennant on the last day of the season to St. Louis. So, I never say never, but have to admit that last night's drubbing by TB was a psychological setback for me. At some point I should just admit that this isn't their year, but I can't do that quite yet.

Good try on the OWS! I have swum in all types of water, but what you describe is something that I am not familiar with. And, if I had seen it I might've taken pause --- maybe even bailed. Nowadays i have to be fairly desperate for a swim if it promises to be miserable in any way, shape, or form, and dandruffy flakeys just might qualify!

Water temps have dropped around here recently, sowing the seeds of doubt into late-season iron plans -- or even half-iron plans. And it's not just water temps, but air temps, too. The thought of knocking off long rides when it's cool/cold is not high on my list of pleasure pursuits. So, i would say that I will pass on Beach2Battleship (iron) in NC on Nov. 13, and focus instead on - maybe - Washington Half-Iron, in NC two weeks earlier.

Is the ocean generally too cold for you these days?

ANNE -

Newton used to offer 60-day trials, but I think it is now 30-day. I believe it's their policy that their retailers have to observe it s well, but maybe call ahead to the places you are considering and see what they say. And if they say no, then phone Newton and check with them.

In late '08 I tried a pair of Newton Motions that I bought at Fallen Arch, and as I expected, they didn't work for me. I took them back and initially Gail said she couldn't accept them becasue they had some visible wear on the bottom, but I told her about Newton's policies as I understood them, and she phoned, and they agreed, and she accepted the shoes back.

I have 12 pairs of Newtons, and two have come from Fallen Arch, four or five from the expo at IMLP, and the rest ordered from Newton themselves. They now have a distribution company out of Vancouver, so if you order from them it gets shipped from Vancouver and costs less -- maybe even the U.S. retail value?

But if you get them locally, that would be best. As for trying them when the run clinic begins next week..........tough call! There's lots to be said for staying with the tried and tue, but that wasn't a 100% at the time, was it? Newton is really firm on doing a sequence of short runs (1-2 miles) for the first bunch of runs, so the run clinic might be ideal to kind of enforce that policy for you.

One of my downfalls when I started with them was that they felt so darn good! The neuroma disappeared almost magically, my cadence increased without even thtinking about it, and I just felt "light". Sooooo.......all too soon I ramped up the mileage beyond what was (in hindsight) wise, and suffered in the ways I mentioned yesterday.

TRACEY, however, seemed to have dodged that bullet! At least, she did not have calf soreness that was either acute or persisted. Lucky lady!

ANNE again -

I'm sorry to hear that you are not looking forward to Wasaga, and I hope that will turn itself around in the next couple of days.


Have you ever tried multiple swim caps? That works okay - better than one, not as well as neoprene. I just wrote Tracey telling her that water temps have dipped here, throwing some concerns into my own late-season race plans. But for Wasaga, in juust a few days, I think you'll be fine.

The best thing you can do is get in the water early. It allows you to get acclimated and removes the shock factor, but more importantly it gives more time for that layer of water between you and your wetsuit to warm up to your body's temperature -- or close to it. That's what i did at Lobsterman a few years ago when the water in Casco Bay was in the (high?) 50s, and it worked. I am very prone to "ice-cream headaches", as well as frigid extremities, but I was fine(ish) there.

And I know I still owe you some Mussel/L.P. thoughts, and haven't forgotten!

Anne -

Lobsterman is a really cold swim...I got in the water early and slowly and got used to it.  You do get used to it, it is just kind of hard.  I got my face in the water (and it hurt at first it was so cold) but after a bit, you really do get used to it.  It was 54 degrees last year according to the buoy temp.

Anyway, when I first got in I was like HOLY F*&%$ng POOOP, this is #$% cold. %$&*! But I didn't say poop, but I did say a string of swear words.  It took me a good 15 minutes of getting used to it, I got my face in and got over the stinging cold...it was worth it to warm up, because at the start I wasn't freaked out or have trouble breathing because of the cold, I was ready.

I didn't do the double swim cap thing, but a lot of people did.  It was 100% worth it.    Must be, I am doing it again this year!  ha ha  And the truth is, the things you dread most are never as bad as you think they are going to be.

Just saying, don't not do it because of cold water - as long as it isn't completely unreasonable.  Besides, you might regret missing out.  Just sayin! 

Best,

Mandy

Thanks for the nudge and words of encouragement.   I will do the double swim cap, maybe even 3!   I think the lake might not be quite as cold as the pool actually.   They are calling for a SE wind which will help.

Will take your advice on the volunteering for Placid as well.    We will volunteer no matter what our decision is on doing the event.   That will depend on how the running progresses this winter.    I am anxious to get started and nervous at the same time, thinking what if...............         Being off running for 6 months has been weird, even though we have never had big running volumes.  

I am not the free spirit you are, but do tend to stretch myself in terms of goals and achievements.   I think it really is the only way to go.     

I am SO looking forward to meeting you next year.   Talk to Ken about you all the time.  

Yeah, I'm just going to do the race and hopefully have fun.   Not doing ANY training this week.   Doing Orillia, 80km of pre-race cycling the HVJ course, then the race, then the Placid course put me almost to the point of overuse.   Had we been home and able to do our usual 'self-maintenance' that would have helped.  Sitting in the car so much didn't.   Can feel some facia issues at the IT/hamstring/piriformas insertion point, so looking after that is more important I think, than more training.    Also want to be in good condition for the re-start of running.

As I mentioned to Mandy, will do the double swim cap thing.    If I wasn't starting up the running again, I would be attempting my first 100 mile event on September 19th.   Check out this website - AWESOME.   www.centurioncycling.com
Next year for sure!   Total climbing 6,488 ft.   That's alot for me.  

BTW, we did check out the Musselman run, and it appears to be a bit challenging.  

TRACEY -

Earlier today I wrote a post to you in which I used an asterisk.........and it wasn't until a few hours later that I remembered that it was there, but had done nothing with it. Doh! (I guess when I use an asterisk I am at risk of forgotten that I used it!)

Anyhow, it was after the stats on the '64 Phillies, and all I wanted to notate at the bottom was that the numbers given may not (are probably not) exact -- close, perhaps, but not exact. I guess I could check that out easily through google, just type in "Phillies 1964 monumental choke", and all the sorry story would appear in a heartbeat.

That really hurt me at the time, which is why I can't remember it with exactitude any longer -- I've worked many years to block it out! In '60 or '61 the Phillies lost 20 or 21 games in a row*, and throught that feat of ineptitude became my National League Team of Choice. Then along came '64 and they played terrific ball, and my parents and I even went on a vacation that included Pennsylvania Dutch country, and Philadelphia historical sites.......and a Phillies game, which they won against Houston. I felt like I'd died and gone to heaven! And then came that dreadful final week or so of the season, and I felt like I'd just died. Period.

So, that's that.

Actually, not quite. Their great, great pitcher was Jim Bunning, who was my hero for a few years. In a very sad twist of fate, he spent about 30 years as a congressman from Kentucky, where he was one of the wackiest of any right-wing yahoo politcian you could imagine. He finally retired last year, thank god for small mercies.

One more thing. The '64 all star game was played at Shea Stadium, and I believe it was in extra innings that the Phillies' Johnny Callison came up against Dick Radatz of the Sox, and hit a home run (a 3-run homer?) that I believe won the game**. Man, was I ever torn over THAT match-up!

* Again, those numbers probably aren't perfect, but likely close.
** I know the Callison-Radatz situation and outcome is a fact, but just not sure of the ultimate impact on the game itself. Another reason for googling away the evening!

ANNE -

Good decision on not training this week. You are vastly more than adequately trained for Wasaga!

There used to be an elecation chart for the Musselman run on the website, and it is really accurate. The big climb is, kind of mercifuly, up through the apple orchard, so it is not without its bucolic charm. Then there is a turn back onto an actual road that gently climbs for about 100 yards.......and then the remainder is 95% either downhill or flat. Leading up to the orchard are a couple of minor climbs through residential areas, added on to the one through town after coming off the flatflatflat waterfront trail.

Overall, it is a very fair course --- and several degrees easier than Half Vermont!!!!!!!! The moderately cruel twist of fate of the HVJ run was that it was a hottish day -- which is often a deciding factor at Musselman. More than few years of Mussel have been plagued by a scorcher of a day, but I didn't expect to see the warmth of HVJ -- it's late August in Vermont, for god's sake!

Well, that's the sort of thing that makes this gig we do so potentially zany. I don't know if that makes me feel any better, but at least it's a reminder that we just have to be ready for the hand that Ma Nature deals us. And may Her Highness treat you kindly on Saturday!

TRACEY again -

As predicted, I was mostly close with my memory of "The Phold".

After play on Sept 20. they had a 6.5 game lead over both St. Louis and Cincinnati; on the 27th, they were a game behind the Reds. St.Louis won the pennant on the last day of the season by beating the Mets, even though Phillies beat the Reds 10-0 earlier in the day.

During "The Phold", the Phils lost 10 straight with 12 games remaining.

I'll shut up now.

Hey Steve,

Yep, this Saturday.  Kind of psyched, kind of not.  Psyched, as this is the first race since IMSG, so I want to just get that monkey off my back.  Now I wish I had done Vineman after all!  LOL.

Matching last year's time...not sure....doubtful

Swim:  30:11 - I think this is doable.  Last year I veered off course twice, so if I can do a better job of sighting, or find a pair of feet that are going in the right direction, I think I can match this time - or come within a minute or two of it.

Bike:  1:10:45 -  This was a 21.3 mph pace.  I think I am a stronger cyclist than last year, and am on the new tri bike vs. converted road bike.  I was in better shape last year at this time, but I think I've figured out some stuff on this course in the last year.  If I can get some open road where I need it, I think I can shave 3-5 minutes off this time.  There is one "no pass zone" where if I don't get stuck behind a group, I can make up some time over last year.  There's also a couple of rollers where I've figured out some great gearing to keep a high speed up some hills if I can avoid a pack on the downhill leading into it.  Last year, I lost some time in a couple of key spots.  Catch a break, and I can save some time.  I'd like to think I can get this done in 1:05?

Run:  47:07 - That was a 7:35 pace last year, and I walked a few of the water stations, and my nutrition was terrible.  Lost my gel packs on the bike, so bonked a little at the end.  I figure I was close to 7:00 when running.  If I match this time, or come close, it'll be because I don't walk.  My "running" speed is likely to be slower, but if I can avoid the walking time, I can come close.  I think my goal at this race is going to be to try to build - starting out at an 8:00 pace, avoid walking and do my best to build.  I figure I'm around a 50-minute run this year.

Goal:  2:30.  Hey.  Gotta have a goal.

Then, it's 8 weeks to Silverman!  Plans shift a lot.  Back to climbing hills.  Running hills.  Looking at hills.  Dreaming about hills.  I'm even considering watching reruns of "The Hills" on television...but I hate those fake reality shows.  :-)

STEVE -

Those look like good goals to me! You seem to have thought about them enough so that they are hardly pie-in-the-sky, and you mention all the factors that might contribute to improvements in all areas. Cool beans.....and definitely cause for psychedom!

Do you really wish you had done Vineman? Oops! Well, hindsight being 20/20, you have to keep thinking that you did the right thing AT THE TIME. If you really want to atone for that sin of omission, just keep poised at the keyboard when '11 entry registration opens!

I've had a few like that over the years -- bail now, regret later. This year has been blessedly free of any of those, at least so far!

The segue from Malibu training to Silverman training ought to be a bit of a shock to the system, don't you think? But eight weeks is a long time, and it's not as if you've been a complete and utter slacker when it comes to hillwork. It'll come back to you in no time flat!

ANNE!

Did you get sunflowers in your HVJ photo set? (I don't remember your race number, so i can't check?) Anyhow, if you didn't I think I have found some in lost and found -- page 19 of 109. I was moseying around through there looking for any strays of mine (especially those very cool swim ones, but alas and woe, no ), but I'm sure that's you with the sweet foreground of sunflowers. Check 'em out!

TRACEY once more -

Nope! Not done yet!

I knew you couldn't go to sleep until you had it all straight, so here it is: in 1961, the Phillies lost 23 straight at one point.

Now that you know that......don't you feel richer somehow??

Nice win for Sox tonight!





Edited by stevebradley 2010-09-09 2:38 PM

Thanks Steve.   As usual, I didn't like my pictures - there weren't alot and no sunflowers, so glad to see this.   As I went through the lost and found I found a bunch of others as well; some not bad.    Found a bunch of Ken too.    The swimming pictures were really cool. 

SteveB:

Wow, those are some hard-core baseball stats! I hate to admit it, but my eyes started to glaze over about half-way through through the second post. Mention sports history, and I immediately zone out. So you might say I've never been interested in those Ken Burns baseball documentaries!

And to your question about the ocean water temps these days... I would say for sure it's too cold for me right now without a wetsuit. I'd probably be fine with it, but then there's the whole hassle of getting it on and off, and then I start to wonder if it's just easier to get to the Y. And besides, the beach is a few mintues longer drive than the drive to the Y. So since I've all but given up on the local ponds, the Y it is. Summer camp is over now anyway, so the lap lanes should be more available these days.

I'm off for a 3 mile run in a few minutes. I'm loving this pre-fall weather!

Tracey

I'm hoping the training for Silver will be good.   The swim is not much of a concern - pool sessions are about an hour at this point anyway, and the IM vs. OLY distance isn't very different, so we're good there.  Most of my weekend rides for the OLY have been at the HIM distance or further.  Except for last weekend, I've generally been riding at least 50 miles on my long rides, so extending that to 75/80 and hills shouldn't stress the body too much.  The one area where I'll need to suck it up is the run.  My long runs right now are only in the 7/8 mile range, and not fast at all at that distance.  I've been trying to run hard off the bike for a few miles, but the longer distances are more of a challenge right now.  I think it's a matter of focus - I'm so concerned with trying to run fast at the OLY distance and it's taken away from my endurance work. 

I've been thinking, and would love your advice on that.  I've been thinking that starting Monday, my run days, and especially my LSD days, I should consider walking more to extend my distances.  When I was doing my IMSG training, I wouldn't walk much at all during my LSD runs, but had the 30-weeks to build.  With just 8 weeks, I'm thinking of getting more aggressive in ramping up the mileage, but doing so with some scheduled walk beaks in there to protects against injury.  So, if the 10% rule has me running 9 miles, I'd extend to 10, but make one of those miles a walking mile.   My thought being that time on feet is part of the process, but it need not all be running time on feet.  What do you think?  Or, would you keep the running focused on running and not push too much in total mileage? 

As for Vineman - nah, not too worked up about it.  It was a lesson learned - my eyes were bigger than my legs this year!  Next year, it'll make a great test race to gauge progress toward IMAZ.  Assuming a 30-week specific plan, it'd be at month 4, so its a great time to race. 

Good luck Steve and Anne!

Anne - you seem more excited about starting your new running program than you are about your race - good luck with both.

Denise