RunningJayhawk's Mentor Nest - FULL! (Page 24)

Welcome home! Don't stress about missing training while on vacation...it happens to the best of us. Do what you can when you can.

And I hear you on the dumping water on the head thing...it's one of the few ways I'm able to keep cool in the summer.

Is it September yet?!!?

Eeek! Sounds like things are really getting nutty in your neck of the woods. How'd the run go over? Do you think the pain is from overly-tight hamstrings? Often times I get "phantom pains" during the taper period before any big race. Things come up and are painful to me...but when I get 'em checked out by the doctor they can't find anything wrong. But come race day, everything works out fine. Hopefully the pain is nothing big and you'll be able to rock the socks off your half marathon this weekend.

I'll be thinking about your FIL tomorrow, too. Hopefully the surgery goes well.

And how cool about the fire station!!

Woohoo!!! Nice job, Erin!! And how awesome you were able to do it with a friend.

Hope your ride tonight went well!

Breathe, girl. You got this. If anything, don't go full "balls to the wall" (pardon the saying), but take it easy on the bike and swim. Even with 2-3 weeks of "off training" you still have tri fitness in you.

Set a plan for the race and work to accomplish it. It could be something as simple as shave X-seconds off your transition times from Galena, or focus on nutrition on the bike. Find ways for the tiny victories.

Let us know how tonight's training session goes over.


...and did you hear about the free Open Water Swim clinic tomorrow night at Ladder 1? I think Mike and I will be there (assuming I don't get stuck super late at work).

I'm definitely jealous that you're hanging out in Canada! So, so awesome. Enjoy the rest time and have lots of fun with your family!!!

Whew!  Ok, I'm feeling a lot calmer now.  I got through the mile swim, but it took forever, and I didn't feel like running 2 miles after, so I didn't.  Swimming in the lake is SO much harder than in a pool.  I had to stop a couple of times to catch my breath (though that didn't really work because I had to tread water anyways), the waves were making me a little nauseous, I ran into 2 people who were coming the other way, and I got my arm caught in some seaweed.  I even jammed my finger running into someone, and now it's twice the size of the other one!  I feel so dysfunctional!

But anyways, I think I'll stick with the Olympic.  I know I can do the distances separately, so hopefully everything will come together for the race.  I'm just feeling a bit whiney right now

I wish I'd known about that swim clinic sooner!  What time does it start?  I probably won't be able to make it, though...  I have a meeting between 6-7, so unless it starts late, I'm probably out

Thanks Erin!  I totally think you can do the full sprint!  You have plenty of time to train for it, and you're following a regular sprint plan anyways, so you can totally be ready for it by September!

Anyways, I did the Bigfoot Olympic this weekend.  I don't really even know what I was worried about.  It was really windy yesterday, so the waves were pretty big for the swim, and the bike was harder than usual (or so I've been told... I didn't think it was too bad, but I'm comparing it to Galena last month, where there were 35-40 mph gusts of wind!)  For the swim, I had to switch to breast stroke from time to time when the waves got too big because I was having problems sighting through the waves just doing freestyle, and I got off course a couple of times.  For the bike, I beat my Galena bike split by 4 minutes, despite this course being 6-7 miles longer.  It was definitely a LOT easier than the Galena course...  There were a few hills and a little wind, but nothing compared to the hills/wind at Galena.  I was actually surprised when I saw the bike dismount area because I didn't realize it was already almost over (I don't have a bike computer, so I had no clue how far I'd gone). 

The run was the hardest part because it was through trails.  I was definitely afraid of tripping and spraining my ankle, so I took it a lot slower than I usually run.  But then at the end, I basically sprinted the last quarter mile because I saw my parents and a whole bunch of tri club people, so I got really excited.  I finished with a lot of energy, which made me think I probably could have gone faster during the run, but oh well.

Anyways, now I'm really excited for the Chicago tri at the end of August because I know the course will be completely flat, and I won't have to navigate through tree roots, rocks, mud, etc during the run, so I know I can go fast!

Missy, congrats on the race! It sounds like you rocked it!

I'm back from my vacation and was back at work today. It's always a bummer to come back after a nice trip. I was pretty bad training wise while I was gone. I only ran once and aside from that did no other exercise except walking. I also ate everything in sight the whole time we were in Canada. The last few days I was actually looking forward to coming back home and getting back on track with my eating and workouts.

I went to spin class tonight expecting to have lost some fitness from being off for so long but I actually felt really strong. I think my body was thankful for the rest and sleep that I got on our trip. Now I just need to focus on getting back on track since my first tri is less than a month away!

I may be buying my first road bike soon. It's a friend's used bike, but she's only used it 5 times. I'm going to give it a test spin next week. It has clipless pedals so I need bike shoes. If I buy only one pair, should I buy road shoes or tri shoes? Any advice?

Hi all-

I'm racing this Sunday 7/5- Caesar Creek Sprint.  It'll be interesting.  It's the same course I raced last month, except for biking the other direction (long uphill finish, bleah).  There's a chance of rain and I've never ridden when it's wet.  What do they do if it's a thunderstorm.  Does a triathlon turn into a duathlon? just the bike/run portion?  Tips would be appreciated. 

I've worked out very little this last month due to vacations and family commitments.  I'm sure I'll survive but would be amazed if I'm faster than last month.  Of course, I am VERY well rested

My teen's swim team and my husband's overtime end in a few weeks.  I'm looking forward to returning to my previous workout load.  I may skip my August race and do one in September instead if it turns out I've lost too much fitness.

We had layoffs at the library this morning.  I survived.  Now I'm waiting to see how our reduced operating hours will affect my schedule and what awful thing will happen next.  Our governor is pushing for a 50% cut to next year's library funding.  We're anticipating branch closings, more layoff's and furloughs...

Cheryl

Good luck Cheryl!  I've been told that if there's thunder & lighting, they change the tri to a du, but I don't know if that's just specific to the race I did.  And it probably depends on how bad the weather is?  Congrats on surviving layoffs, and good luck with the next few rounds


I just looked at my calendar again, and my next tri is Chicago on Aug 30.  I'm thinking of adding another race to my schedule since it keeps me motivated.  I know a bunch of people doing one on Aug 16, but I don't know if that's too close to the other race.  We'll see. . . I know I also have a bunch of other options in late July/earlier in August, but it'd be fun to do the one that my friends are doing too.  Hmmm....

Finally, the Whately Police Triathlon race report. My first triathlon is done! http://childsfamily.com/knitting/?p=310

hey all, I hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend. i spent the entire weekend moving to Columbus OH! yaya!  it was A LOT of work, but we are finally getting everything situated. It feels so nice to live in a city again. It was such a hectic week I was not able to get any training in.  But I'm back at it this week. I went for a nice swim  this morning.

I'm still have heel pain and I haven't ran in a while. Granted I've been on my feet a ton for work and also the whole weekend was spent on my feet either moving heaving stuff or unpacking..
So I'm not sure how much running I'm going to accomplish this week. we'll see I guess!

have a great week everyone,

Erin

Hi all,

I've been totally slacking off on posting here, I hope everyone had a good 4th! I'm a little more than two weeks away from my first race and I'm getting excited! I have all of the gear (wetsuit, race belt, tri shirt and shorts, etc.) so it's beginning to feel more and more real. The training has been going well, I'm planning on doing my first OWS in my wetsuit in the SF bay this weekend so that should be fun. Looking forward to finally getting some racing in after all these months of training.

Also is anyone following the Tour de France? I watch it every year and my husband and I are obsessed this year.

Dena - Congrats on your first tri!
Erin - Hope you're enjoying your new 'hood!  That's exciting!
Margot - That's awesome you're getting excited for your first race. . . If you're anything like me, you'll be addicted in no time  

Training's been going well.  Of course, right after Bigfoot, I got really excited to race again.  I'm still thinking about whether to add another one to my schedule, but I haven't decided yet.  Now that I know I'm good to go with the Olympic distance, I'm trying to incorporate more drills/speedwork into my training. 

Hi everyone, hope you are having a good week! mine is going pretty good...fast!

I wanted to pick all of your brains- my first tri is in about a month (if all goes well) and I'm not sure of the right clothes to wear.  I don't have and can't really afford to get a wetsuit.  Any recommendations? 

this week has not been the best training week for me. I got to the pool twice, but haven't been able to bike or run. I'm going to try and drag myself out of bed before work tomorrow morning and then run this weekend. we'll see!

Erin - I just recently bought a tri top and tri shorts for this year. The tri shorts are quick drying spandex with a small pad for the bike built in. The top is a tank top with a built in sports bra that is also quick drying. If you don't want to buy specific tri gear any shorts and shirt that are quick drying (synthetic fabric rather than cotton) will probably work great.

For the wetsuit I'd say check out rentals in your area. There is a place near me that rents wetsuits for $25 a week or $50 a month which seems to be a pretty good deal especially for your first race. I know I'm going to do more tri's so I bought a wetsuit from Xterra during one of their sales.

Hi All!  It's been a bit quiet here recently.  Hopefully that means everyone's busy training!  Last week, my friend was trying to convince me to do a tri this Saturday.  I still can't decide whether to do it.  I'll see him tonight, so if he tries to convince me again, I might cave into peer pressure and register   If not, then I'll just wait to do another one early to mid-August.

Erin - I also recommend going with a tri top + tri shorts.  They're quick-drying so you can do brick workouts with them and they dry quickly.  And I'm always wearing my tri shorts to go bike riding in.  I love them!  Since your race is in August, you might not even need a wetsuit.  I think around here wetsuit rentals are $40/week, so if you REALLY wanted to rent one, check around at local tri stores.  At the tri I did in June, I saw a couple of people who just swam in swimsuits and threw on some shorts for the bike ride...  So wetsuits/trisuits aren't necessary, though they might be a bit more comfortable. 

Hi all-

I've had a busy month with family.  Lots of chaffeuring, vacationing, unaided child care and housework...  My daughter has her last summer swim meet tomorrow and my husband's overtime (theoretically) ends next week.  I can't wait to have my life back!

I raced early in the month, same course as in June.  Ended up a few minutes slower - not surprising after a month almost of 1 hr/wk training.  The strategy of racing WELL rested was not effective...wouldn't recommend it :-)   I did manage to drop a few minutes off my bike time but then was wiped for the run.  This was my first traditional run from the beach start.  I learned that starting at the back is wrong for me.  I got trapped behind a wide clump of breast strokers.  By the time I fought my way through them, I was waaaaaaay behind, added several minutes.  I think I might have finished FOP or MOP if I'd started at a front corner.

This week I'm focussing on reestablishing my workout patterns.  Ran yesterday.  Biked today.

The biking was fun.  I'm getting braver.  There's a new hike/bike trail near my library.  I scoped it yesterday and went early to ride it twice this morning.  It's only a few miles long but it has some hills (not a former railroad trail).  I could feel them.  So, to do this I had to be brave enough to ride solo, some on a mixed car/bike road, and trust that I could get back  to work and clean up in time to open the library.  No dogs and only 3 cars the whole 45 minutes.

I've got two races set in August, both sprints.  The last one is our regional team championship just over the Ohio in Kentucky.  We get to start by jumping off a barge into the Ohio River.  I think that's SOOO cool.  Here's hoping the water quality is good and this doesn't turn into a duathlon like last year...

Cheryl

I'm feeling rejuvenated today!

I've been super busy lately (it sounds like everyone else is too!) with the move and work and haven't had much time to train.  Not exercising does a toll on my brain.  I have been taking it easy on my feet and not running, which is good..but  I'm really hard on myself and I got really down.  I was thinking that I wasn't going to be able to train anymore...my stupid feet...can I just chop them off and get new?....blah, blah blah.. woe is me. You can hear the violins right?

So I MADE myself swim this morning and I'm so glad I did.  After my workout (which felt pretty good) a woman approached me and asked if I was training for a tri.  So we got to chatting, turns out she is a certified tri coach and has done like 30 tri's!  She was giving me some pointers (we both have flat feet) and commented that I looked very confident in the water and that I could do it!

She was a total stranger, but she really changed my attitude and woke me up a bit! I left the gym feeling confident and empowered to continue my training as best I could.  I still want to take it easy on my feet, but there is no reason I can't still swim and bike, and run occasionally. 

Anyway- thought I'd share... I hope everyone is having a great week!

Hey all-

I'm staggering through my first solid week of training in a month.  Feels pretty good although I can't believe how much speed I lost (and I didn't have much to begin with!).  I rode a couple of hours on Sunday and ran an hour this morning.  I'll swim a bit later today.  My goal is 5-6 hours this week, a little less next week with some bricks and then a sprint on the 3rd.

Wow - it's been quiet on the forum lately.  What happened to everyone?  I miss hearing about everybody!

Cheryl

Cheryl - I totally agree, I don't know where everyone went. Hellooooo out there!!

I'm gearing up for my first race on Sunday. I'm getting super excited. It's a short race (800m swim, 9 mile bike, 2 mile run) but I think it will be a nice introduction before my trip to Chicago for the Chicago Sprint.

I did an OWS two weekends ago in the San Francisco Bay. I had a blast! I've always been a pretty strong (but not fast) swimmer and it was great to swim in the bay for the first time. My wetsuit worked great, and I made sure to wear two swim caps and wear ear plugs to keep out the cold water.

Rode part of the course for the race this weekend on Saturday as part of my 22 mile ride. It is curvy with a bunch of rolling hills so I'm glad I got to check it out ahead of time.

Just getting excited now!

so how cold was the cold water?

I ran an hour this morning and swam a half hour later.  Man, I lost SO much power this last month.  I feel the same while I'm working out, but my times are way slower.

Are you dreaming race dreams this week?  I hardly slept the week before my first tri - and when I did, I raced all night.

Cheryl

Congrats on getting two workouts in! I'm sure before long you'll be right back where you were before fitness wise.

The water for my OWS wasn't too cold, I think that day it was 61 or 62. I grew up in California and spent a lot of time in the ocean so I'm used to the cold water we tend to have here. I wore the earplugs mainly because I've read they help with balance from going from horizontal in the water to vertical running into T1.

I'm not starting to really obsess about the race just yet because work is busy this week, but I'm sure that by Thursday or Friday I'll start getting really excited and nervous.