JFord Bradleyd3 2013 Spring Group- Closed (Page 25)

Today I did a phone interview about the attacks on the Boston Marathon with Bloomberg news. Here is the link to it and about my new goal.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-16/bombings-heighten-runners-commitment-to-2014-boston-marathon.html

Great minds think alike.   I'd LOVE to do Big Sur Full, but its supposed to be one of the toughest in the country.  On the positive, most likely the most beautiful too.  So yes Renee......hmmmmmm.....

So since the swimming tips surfaced, Ive been incorporating what I can when.  The tucked chin is definitely something i never did before and it really allows hips to come up....and now I can feel the body rotation (much more).  I think before I was forcing a "rotation" because I knew thats what was supposed to happen.  Its  Kinda hard to breath though because since my chin is tucked, when I take a breath,  its right at my shoulder and have to really turn my head to get a full breath..  So a few times Ive taken in water.  Going to keep on trying.  I like it!

Today Im going to do a swim-bike brick...only because of time- kids get out early and i have several chores I need to do before then.  So: 2400 & probably 20 miles.  Starting at 8am.   

Happy training!

Ken, I have never done B races until this year. And by B races, I mean I am not as concerned about any time goals. The problem I have with B races, is that I do not pace very well and I will end up running like an A race.

Yes, post pics in the thread if you want! pics are good!!!

Brad, you will do great, just gald you are doing your full first, this way I have a time goal to beat!

Swim drills!!! two of my favorites are the fist drill and finger tip drag.  They are exactly as they sound. One lap swim it with your hands in a fist, then next lap like normal, you will definitely feel a difference in your catch! the finger tip drill is done by dragging your fingertips across the top of the water, this help with getting that elbow up!

Awesome PR!

Good luck on the marathon, I feel a PR there also!

I would contact a local running shop and ask them. I know the ones in Memphis and all over everything Boston!

My first HIM is in 2 weeks.  EEK!  I don't think I know what I am getting myself into.  I am going into this knowing that it is a PR as long as I finish (got to love those "first" races).  I also don't want to set the bar too high for my next HIM.  

Update on race status - we received an email this week saying they got approval from NASA this week!  We didn't even know we were still waiting on that.  Last they told us was that we are waiting on the permit from the US Fish and Wildlife.  We are still waiting on that permit.  There is some open community comments time until the 24th.  Hopefully the final decisions about the whole race will be decided by next weekend.  I would really like to have SOME idea of what the bike course is going to be.  They haven't even told us what the "alternate" route is.  I don't see how logistically they can even come up with one.  Oh well, right?  Nothing I can do about it.  If they cancel the race, my husband and I will have a few days in Florida anyway!

Ken:  what school did you guys settle on, or is this still an 'in process' thing? Junior or senior?  Son or daughter?  I know this is a big deal.  

Michelle:  I have a good feeling about your HIM in FL.  They will work it out and you will enjoy the warm weather.  As you said, 'it will be a PR!'.  Happy for you.  Did you ever get your shoe problem/hot spot resolved?  Was it cleat placement?  Insole?

Brad:  also a PR for you!  Post a fast time so James can't use it as motivation, but not so low I can't beat it in 2014.  If you can figure that out, let me know.  

B Races?  I am doing a couple  of B races...sprint tomorrow and a 50 mile tri in early May, but my A race is May 25th and it is a HIM.  I am using B races for fun and experience.  This is supposed to be fun right?

Elena:  how is your swimming progressing?  You are right, the position of your mouth as you breath is different as you tuck your chin and yes, that will take some getting used to.  Overall, your speed will increase.  Be patient, it will come as you practice.  It has taken me a long time and I still have a long way to go.  What did the bike shop say about your handlebar/aerobar riddle?

James:  I will try the fist drill; that one is new to me.  Not sure how it helps, but will try anything to get faster.  I am going to shave the hair off my toes tonight to reduce swim drag for my sprint tri tomorrow.  Will that help?  I think Brad said we should wax my back hair on earlier thread, but I am not going that far.  

Everybody:  enjoy your families and weekends, we have so much to be thankful for.

WOW it has been a long time since I have posted here.  Been busy training and getting ready for May 19th. 

Posted my best indoor Tri times with a 9:33 500m swim, 17 min 6 mile ride and 20:10 2 mile run! 

Now for the question.  So I took my wetsuit out to the lake today for my first ever OWS.  I hit the water and the cold shock took my breath away.  Basically I freaked out and went back to walking in the water and decided to come back in a week or two and try it again.  Anyone else experience this on their first outing or am I all alone?  BTW the water temp was about 48 degrees.

My hotspots have gotten a little better.  I bike without socks now.  That helps.  I have found it to be much worse when I do wear socks.  I did make a few adjustments to my cleat position.  I think between the "no socks", cleat position and learning to endure are all adding up to something I can handle. 

Favorite Brand of Goggles?

I was sent some Zoggs goggles. So far I like them. I will be doing a giveaway on my blog soon if interested!

EV3110 - 2013-04-23 8:52 PM

jford2309 - 2013-04-23 2:48 PM

Favorite Brand of Goggles?

 

I was sent some Zoggs goggles. So far I like them. I will be doing a giveaway on my blog soon if interested!

I prefer the ones that don't fill up with water. Personally. Ha. I've just used the speedo brand and they are the woman's fit. I've never used any other but would love some that don't leave me with "goggle" eyes after a long (or short!) swim! Is there such a thing? Can Zoggs do that for me James? Huh?

I have three pairs of goggles that I use.  I have two pairs of Aqua Sphere Kayenne Goggles (Smoke and Clear) and a pair of TYR Nest Pro Goggles (Smoke).  All three fit fantastic and don't leak or fog up.  I don't get "goggle" eyes after my workouts.  All three are VERY comfy.  I personally prefer the Aqua Sphere Kayenne because they don't leave ANY goggle eyes, I can actually adjust (tighten and loosen) while swimming, and the field of vision is HUGE!!  It looks almost as if you don't have any goggles on.  One thing though is that all three of these aren't cheap goggles.  I hated spending the money but after doing it, I don't regret it at all they are all well worth it!

EV3110 - 2013-04-23 8:52 PM

jford2309 - 2013-04-23 2:48 PM

Favorite Brand of Goggles?

 

I was sent some Zoggs goggles. So far I like them. I will be doing a giveaway on my blog soon if interested!

I prefer the ones that don't fill up with water. Personally. Ha. I've just used the speedo brand and they are the woman's fit. I've never used any other but would love some that don't leave me with "goggle" eyes after a long (or short!) swim! Is there such a thing? Can Zoggs do that for me James? Huh?

The guy at Zoggs told me they are not designed to be worn real tight like a pair of racing goggles! I did 2000 yds yesterday in them and I came out of the water without the "goggle eyes" and they did not leak. I am going to do a full review on my blog for them, but so far, they are awesome!

Long post ahead...

So I tried posting this earlier today, but the computer crashed... let's see if I can get through it this time.

After some time focusing on what I'm trying to do in my training and some technical failures, I've come up with a few questions I'd like advice on.  Here's what I've come up with so far.

Swim-

My swim times are horrible.  2:22/100m is my current pace (2:00/100m was the best pace I've ever been at w/o a wetsuit).  Obviously more time in the pool would be beneficial to me, but my responsibilities this last month have been all out of whack.  Until I can get that fixed, I need advice on what I can do with the time I have.  I "feel" like my technique is good, and have had it described as graceful (by a random gym member), but obviously there's always room for improvement.  I have no way of under water filming my swim, so beyond some side shots that my wife took during an indoor triathlon, all I've got is my description.  Decent rotation, tucked chin, high elbow exit on each stroke, bilateral breathing (every third stroke), finger tips enter the water approximately 6" in front of my head before extending out as far as I can, decent glide.  The only measure, beyond time, that I have is strokes per length (25-26 per 25m).  It seems like the biggest thing I can do is work on power and improve how much pull I get out of each stroke, but how would I go about doing that?

Bike-

Was riding the trainer today and during the last 10 minutes of the workout I was really trying to push it.  Ended up snapping the chain and bringing the ride to a screaching halt.  Luckily I use 2 bikes.  An old arse POS Suteki (with parts I've never even seen before, but it serves it's purpose on the trainer) and my outdoor converted road bike.  This leads to 2 embarisingly stoopid questions.  1st, do chains come in different lengths/sizes/whatever?  If so, how do I figure out what size chain I need for my Suteki?  The teeth on the rings all appear in tact and in good shape, so it likely snapped due to over use and minimal upkeep over the years (bought it used 3 years ago and who knows whether it was ever taken care of before me... I've done a minimal amount of upkeep on it).  2nd, being tight on money, I'm always hesitant to take my bike in for any kind of maintenance, even just to make sure everything is clean and ready to go.  However, there's a couple issues with the outdoor bike that I want to know if I can fix on my own or if I need to take it in to be looked at (I'm fairly handy, but need to know what to do).  Obviously with the chain breaking on the Suteki, I want to know how to check the chain on this bike to see if it's a worry or if I am good to go with it (nothing appears awry to the fairly untrained eye).  Also, my back tire feels "loose."  Basically, even with the back tire completely secured in place with the quick release, I can feel a little left-to-right play in the wheel (both by hand and when I ride).  The spokes all appear tight and there is no obvious cause.  There's no vibration that occurs, thankfully.  This happens in any gear, and makes going around any corners at a decent speed a bit spooky as I almost feel like a NASCAR driver who is sliding around the track coming out of each corner!  They are Ksyrium elite wheels if it makes a difference.  What can I do??

Run-

I am mostly happy with my run and have been steadily improving on it.  One thing I have noticed, especially when I'm tired, is my left foot does not cooperate.  Basically, as I lift my left foot off the ground and bring it forward, my toes point inwards (45-60 degrees), to the point that I've caught my toes on the back of the other leg, leading to some embarrassing moments.  However, assuming I make it through the stride, lol, I land completely straight (heel-to-toe).  Besides the random stumble, it really doesn't cause me much concern... it just looks funky.  My wife can pick me out from 1/2 mile away because of my stride.  Is this something I should look to correct (and if so, how)?  Do I just ignore it and keep running?  Apparently I walk in a similar manner, according to my wife.  I can't see it, but she can see it if she walks behind me.

Anyways... that's what I've got for now.  If anyone's still reading this, what comments/suggestions do you have?  Thanks! (And yes, I WILL be increasing my training volume here on May 1st).

I will address each one by segment, and Brad is probably more qualified than me on the bike parts..

Swimming: One drill that I always do in the pool, and I have mentioned it here before is the fist drill. Basically you swim a lap with clenched fist, then swim a lap normal and you should feel a difference in your pull through. I usually hit around 19-20 strokes per length of a 25 yd pool. Check out this length for a better explanation:

http://www.trinewbies.com/tno_swim/tno_swimarticle_15.asp

Bike: I am not a bike parts guy, so I will leave that to Brad, he recently did a lot of work on his wheels.

Run: 1st question I would ask is about your shoes. Did you just pick a pair or did you go have a gait analysis done to determine which shoes are best for your feet? My wife can pick out my gait from a half mile away, so I am not sure it is that big a deal, but if you are tripping yourself it might be something to look into. Your pronation may be off and there are shoes designed to fix this.

Great questions though!