GrooveTime!group - CLOSED!!! (Page 255)

We just signed up for a monthly rate of $82.00 (for both of us) per month at Laurier - 50 meter pool, fitness centre and gym (basketball, badminton, etc. that we will never use) and thought that was good value for what we get around here.

MANDY -

Well give me the number of John's raft company and I'll be happy to make some exploratory potential-customer phone calls. After I stack the deck about the pertinents of rafting trips, I'll ask what non-rafting options are available. Bungee-jumping? Bouldering? Sauna? Endless Pool?

Hey! It's just part of what I offer as a Full Service Mentor!

MANDY again -

That IS quite the deal you get for $146 a year. I pay about $260 for six months, and that's for pool and gym in any City of Ottawa facility -- of which there are literally dozens. I'm sure one or more has an indoor track, but right now all I use are pools and gyms.

My previous gym, in Cornwall, ON, was about $550 a year, and while it was an incredibly nice gym, that was it -- no pool, no track. So, above and beyond that I was paying pool fees elsewhere, and it was just way too pricey. So, i will carry my current "membership" up through its expiry in mid-April, and then maybe buy a combined month to bridge the gap to OWS season. that'll leave me sans gym, however, and normally I like doing that until about mid-June. Another option is to get a 3-monthe pass, or just do pay-as-you-go.

But you don't need to know any of this, do you??

LISA -

"Texans, who???"

Uh, how about the old Dallas Texans, Tex Schram's babies from the old AFL days?

Speaking of which, I just learned that for one season, about '52 or '53, the Baltimore Colts were the Dallas Texans, then returned to Baltimore. I should try to figure out why that was. So then it was about eight years before the Cowboys were born, which ia about when the Houston Oilers and the Dallas Texans were born, too. When it finally rained pro football in Texas, it poured!

Is there still a hard-core group of remnant Oilers fans who are rabid for the Titans? And speaking of that, it was very sad to read about Vince Young completely losing it yesterday. I haven't seen the replays of his fit(s).....and probably I don't really want to, either.

ANNE -

Honest to goodness, it really does look like it was a very fine week for you. The highlight, to my mind, is the CT session; Zach seems to be quite the rare find! How long does the whole session extend, and do you have an option of continuing to your heart's content? That is just such a good resource to have available to you. Is Donna the new-found friend?

The run-work is still proceeding and evolving nicely, it seems, and you're getting in some good swims. And strength. And yoga. And various forms of body-preservation!

As for my strength work, it might not be all it seems. Last week is a rarity, doing five days, and it was M-W-F upper body, 42', 64', and 50' respectively. Tu and Th were each 30' core. I snuck in 3' of hard rowing on two of the days. Most weeks it is just 3 or 4 days, and I usually combine core and upper. Last week i just got keen, i guess.

In time I will tell you about my swim "breakthrough" --as soon as I truly believe it is not just a mirage, a passing trick-of-the-light. But it involves a deeper entry and catch-point, and I really think it might be making a difference. I mean, it's high time SOMETHING made a difference!

No, i didn't teach Shakespeare at all, except for a couple of days playing around with "Shakespearean Insults". Remember, my group was grade 5 mostlym, sometimes grade 4.......and they were all Mohawk kids; it was hard with that clientele to justify Shakespeare as being "culturally relevant" to them!

I wrote Mandy earlier about why Shakespeare works well for me as a reader. Each year I age, i seem to get more and mor focused on words rather than storylines. It explains why I spend so much time on poetry, I suppose.

Finally, unofficially today I have changed '11 race plans about six times; check back in a few minutes and I will have tacked in an altogether new direction!

Yay for promising swims!!! (Now standing at three straight!)

IMAZ report:

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Had a fun trip to IMAZ this past weekend, and all I can say is I'm excited about the race next year.  Will be very different than IMSG, that's for sure.  One thing I like the best is that the course is so compact - very viewer friendly.  I think from a single point, friends and family can see you go by about 10 times on the bike/run - it's all right there.

And FLAT...wow is it flat.  On the bike, the "uphill" run we did was faster than the return ride because of tailwind/headwind.  LOL. 

But, best of all, I got to meet Chrissy Wellington!  She shattered her own record, and then joined us on the finish line to hand out space blankets to the finishing racers.  She's just awesome!

Anyway...very inspiring for next year.  I have a couple more weeks of laying low, but am chomping at the bit to get back to training.

STEVE -

Excellent! I was hoping you were there and had managed to sign up. Rumor has it that the winds that plagued this year's race will not be anywhere near Tempe for next year's race. Whew!

I'm not sure there has ever been a race she has done at which she hasn't put in an appearance at the finish line after she scorches the course herself. I am almost universally impressed by the willingness of the professionals to hang out and encourage and give advice to age-groupers, but she has taken it all to another level. But I say that just anecdotally, as I have never met her and, in fact, have never been in a race with her. Agood rezson for making a long-overdue return to Timberamn, where she has become something of a regular (one must defend one's title, I suppose).

So, what's there for you for '11 --- Vineman 70.3 and IMAZ and.......????

I got them old Non-Linear Swim-Training Blues.....and it hurts so bad!


Just so you all know, following three straight super-positive swims, I crashed back to earth today with a mediocre performance. Now my two minds are yowling at each other.

Worry Mind says that those three sessions were just flukes, and that any gains I thought were happening were figments of my imagination. Worry mind is laughing maliciously at me........and wants to post my angst on YouTube.

Rational Mind says that I KNOW and PREACH that training and racing isn't linear, and that perceived "setbacks" are just a day in which it's not all working as I might hope. Rational Mind wants to cradle my head in its lap and soothe my troubled mind.

Just so you know!

You are SO funny!!   I love the way your posts make me smile.       Let's go with Rational Mind.   Once you get another super-positive swim, I would like to hear about what you did to achieve it.  You mentioned something about a deeper pull.   I'm pretty sure that I've been told that makes quite a difference. 

I know what you mean about questioning a great performance and thinking it was a fluke.   I was at Laurier on Sunday and it was a 25 meter set up, instead of 50, and I was doing the 50's in 1 minute.   I NEVER do that (w/o a wetsuit).   I was positive they were wrong and the pool had to be 22 or 24 meters, so spent 5 minutes asking different lifeguards and coaches to confirm the distance.    I still don't believe it!  

STEVEB,

I had a pretty awesome CT session today.   Pyramid intervals in the NY Aiderondacks.   Did 44km with an avg speed 28.7 plus some other interesting data on the watts and HR.   We cycled 1hr32 minutes today.   The sessions aren't supposed to go longer than 1 1/2 hours; no one uses the room after our group, so I probably should ask if we they would let us cycle longer.   They would probably want more money.    

Had acupuncture on leg/foot today plus some manipulation/massage on my left rib cage and intercostal muscles.   Ribs were literally sitting on one another, apparently.   They really seem to think there is a huge connection between the thorasic spine and what goes on with the legs/feet.   We will see.    Going to run tomorrow morning.

NICE!! Love it - here is the #888.606.7238 http://www.adv-bound.com/

I am sure if we get all Groovetimers to call, it will help him invest the $$ in an endless pool ! ha ha

I am psyched with the deal, I paid for the year even though I doubt I will use it much for 3 mos of summer....but it was either by the month or for a year.

I was going to ask if you got to see Chrissie! I am jealous you got to meet her!! She seems so awesome - what a crazy race she had - shattering all records and coming in 8th overall - look out men! ha ha

She is scary good - the women who were behind her were no slouches either!!

Sounds like an awesome time, wish I could have been there!

I hear you!! Me tooooo!! I want to swim over THERE!! Not back and forth and back and forth at the stupid blue line blah blah blah...

AND as for the review on the H2O audio...I liked having the music/podcasts for swimming, it definitely helped. 

That said, my ear holes are apparently very small, and even the XS earpieces kept popping out of my ears because I couldn't get them in securly.  I pushed and pushed and twisted and pushed and pulled on my ears and pushed and they just wouldn't go in.  I would FINALLY get them in start swimming, and then my ears would reject them somewhere along the way to a 100 set. 

If you have big ears H2O audio would work awesome for you, but if you are a small ear person like me, it could get rather annoying.  I found a way to sort of keep them in there under my swim cap, but had to adjust every 100 which was a pain.  So I am going to try it again, but I was using the smallest ear pieces they had so I don't know what to do. 

I have the same trouble with earplugs at work...my ears reject things going into them.  Poooh

The good swims are winning, 3:1 right now.  This is a democracy after all!

Well, funny you mention that....

I'm already waffling on my "off season" plan.  After seeing the course, riding the bike leg and running a loop, this course is FAST.  Can't help but think of a low number for next year - easier said than done though, when you're only doing 1/3rd of the distance.  LOL!!  I want to get started right now, but I know that it's a long year until then - don't want to burn out before I get there. 

What struck me about the course is that as flat as it is, it's dangerous for many different reasons than say, St. George was.  At St. George, people were walking from the start of the marathon - there was a lot of carnage everywhere.  At Arizona, everyone was running early.  I have a sneaking suspicion that part of it was the way the course is set up - you're so close to the spectators most of the time, that you don't want to walk.  At St. George, it was different - you got on the high part of the course and it was just aid stations - no real spectators.  At Arizona, you're in the spectator's eyes much more and I think that keeps people running more.  At St. George, the hills were also long hills - I suspect many started walking up the hills only to find that they had walked so long - 15-20 minutes - that they couldn't get to running again.  Anyway, I wonder how many were melting down later on the run as a result.  When I was out on the run course, it was relatively early in the race, so I was probably seeing the fitter runners and the start of their runs.

Another danger for IMAZ - pacing.  Pacing is always a key issue, but for different reasons at AZ.  At a race like Silverman or IMSG, if you didn't pace the bike, you'd find yourself on trouble on the bike and run.  The late hills and such would get you if you didn't leave something in the tank.  At IMAZ, because you're coming into the transition area 3 times on the bike, you can't help but want to hammer hard.  The crowds are incredible there and for a good 1.5 - 2 mile stretch, you  have screaming fans on each of the 3 loops.  We saw people really cranking hard and putting on a good show - I wonder how many paid a price later for that.  Also, the first half of the outbound loop is just FAST.  When we rode it on Saturday, we were hitting 24, 25 mph with no problem.  A bit of a tailwind has you reaching for more and more speed and it just feeds itself until you realize your HR is sky high and the legs are heavy.  Anyway, at IMSG, on those longer climbs, I think it's mentally easier to hold back, knowing you have to save it for the hills later.  But at IMAZ, if you're not careful, you just get sucked into hammering away because it's fun to see the speedometer at 25+ mph.

Which has me thinking about training strategies for the race and I fear the Trainer and I will become good friends next summer.  Here in LA, there aren't many long flat stretches like the race site will have.  I suspect I'll be wanting to do some longer trainer sessions (2-3 hours) at a consistent pace to get the body used to working the entire bike leg.  There's no real downhill to recover on - especially if there's a headwind on the return leg.  I've never had to maintain my own speed for 5+ hours on the bike - there's always been downhill recovery periods to regroup. 

Wow - didn't mean to write that much - just excited about the day!  Woo-hoo!

There is something wrong with going for a run at 7 pm at night, two days before Thanksgiving, looking at the Christmas lights that have already been hung, and sweating like a pig in 78 degree weather ... I am so over these warm temperatures.  I am seriously considering bailing on my Thanksgiving day 5 miler if it is over 70 degrees at race start, as is predicted.  I just don't need another bad run before my half the following weekend.  On a positive note, it's expected to be in the 30s in Memphis for St. Jude's.

STEVE A, sounds like the trip to IMAZ was an exciting one!

STEVE B, my guess is the "perceived" worse swim was a fluke, rather than the improvement that you'd seen.

MANDY, I have small ears as well, and had a difficult timing finding ear buds that stayed in my ears, and didn't hurt.  My DH got me some SkullCandy earplugs for Christmas two years ago and find them very comfortable.  And thanks for the link!  My daughter will be in Maine, sometime after the first of the year, but not sure it's near Caratunk.

ANNE, sounds like the trainer sessions will be very worthwhile.  Good luck on your run tomorrow.

LISA

LISA -

Yes, that is a strange sequence of juxtapositions and/or contradictions, with dates and decorations and temperatures. Up here it all makes sense -- it's late November and it's cold. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving only in the American way.....but seeing as how I grew up there it is, in my heart, still more of a "true" Thanksgiving than the one here, which is second week of October. I've lived in Canada from '74-'81 and '87 until now, and that's more thasn half my life......but Thanksgiving STILL seems more appropriate for now, as opposed to six weeks ago.

So, does that mean that you might not be doing the five-miler tomorrow? Should I send mojo for race-start temps of 69? As for the bigger prize, though, how are you feeling about St. Jude's? You've been kind of quiet about your training, and I guess I want to think that no news is good news, that you're just cruising along in fine fettle. But then I read your comment about 78 and being just so tired of the heat, and I wonder if you've found it hard to get out and run as often as you might like.

But 30s sounds great -- perfect for a half-marathon!

Well, if you do the 5-miler tomorrow I certainly hope it goes well for you. Any goals, or is it just a race-based "excuse" to do five miles? For me there's no better way to knock off a run than to do it as part of a race! Have fun, anyhow!

ANNE -

My swim "flukes" usually come in the form of a fast or proficient effort or two........and then it's all gone again. They are so ephemeral sometimes!

I have mentioned before that EVERY season I have a "spike" in my performance around early August, and I really have no idea why it happens. And then about six weeks later it's gone......and I have no idea why that happened, either.

So, with the three good ones last week I THINK I know why they happened, but then yesterday's more back-to-normal swim has me questioning whether I'm truly on to something good -- or not. Today's ought to give me some more data to work with.

GREAT CT session! See, if you keep doing simulated stuff in the Adirondacks, pretty soon you'll be all keen to go down and do Lake George, and Tupper, and North Country, and Fronhofer.......and IMLP! (Oh! Wait! LP is already in your plans, isn't it? )

That medical info is a bit scary, although the way you describe things it makes sense that what happens around the ribs and intercostal will affect the legs and feet. How often do you have acupuncture?

We ran into a friend a few days ago who has been in poor health for a while, needing a cane to walk and generally looking quite uncomfortable. Things have declined quite a bit since we last saw her about six months ago, and what she told Lynn is that her ribs are now resting on her pelvis. Literally. So about the only way she can be at all comfortable is "sitting" on a hugh stool, which really means that her rear is just barely on the edge of the stool, more like support than a sitting surface. There is no real remedy for her problem as her back is quite literally disintegrating on her. Cortisone and othe stuff provids some relief, but beyond that........

Anyhow, blessed be our (relative) good health!

STEVE -

Just quickly for now....

Brilliant recon and analysis of IMAZ -- you sound like you've been doing it for a few years! That will prove hugely useful to you as you plan next season, and I guess you have already figured that out because you're already talikng about different approaches to how you will get fully ready for, oh, only about 362 days from now!

More later.

That is weird about how your swimming peaks in August and then disapears.   At first I thought maybe it was just the volume because my best swimming tends to be at the end of summer.    But you haven't really stopped swimming before you lose that edge, have you?  

I didn't really find that info about our ribs scary;  more interesting and a real eye opener, but when you think about it, it makes total sense.  Just reinforces the necessity to look after maintaining our various 'parts' and not waiting until the engine starts to go.   I think the most important thing I have learned in the past 5 years is how much our bodies are like cars; you just can't keep using them, especially to extremes w/o regular maintenance, and expect them to perform to their best and forever.   Hence my more recent focus on regular massages, deadsea salt baths, regular spinal adjustments, quality nutrition, etc. etc.    Despite all this attention, my physiotherapist says because of stress we put on our bodies doing triathlon - it is not a matter of 'if' we are ever going to get another injury/ache/pain, it is just a matter of 'when'.    Comes with the territory and the quicker we learn how to manage it, the longer we will be able to keep this active lifestyle.

However, I did find your story about your friend scary and disturbing.   Genetics does play a bit part and sometimes there is not alot one can do to change that.    I am thankful on a daily basis for my good health and strong bones.  

I am really psyched about this CT training - can't you tell!     I'm thinking it just HAS to make a difference for next season.   Last winter (in fact most winters) I do very little trainer work and you remember this year how slow I started out on my bike; so cautious not to hurt myself.    I'm going to use my True North (racing bike) on the CT next week just to see how it feels and what my watts output is.   Although both bikes are pretty close in configuration the TN frame was custom built for me so in theory I should perform better.    Ken thinks I should be using it on the trainer but the bike builder doesn't think we should be using our 'good' bikes on them.  Too much wear and tear?   I'm thinking if I trainer on a harder bike, then it should make a big difference when I get on to the TN.  

Keep me posted on the the swimming!

STEVE B, here's my thoughts on my training. I thought starting my longer distance running earlier in the season (and continuing throughout the summer) would be helpful, but it hasn't been. No improvement in my pace, and I'm just to the point, I'm tired of sweating it out on just about every run. And in starting earlier, in hopes of seeing more improvement, I've neglected my biking and swimming. And I still have 9 weeks until I'm done with my longer running races.

The low is supposed to be 70 tomorrow, which if fine if it's 70, say in Colorado (since I was recently in those temps in that region) ... it's another thing in Houston. I might as well go and run in the sauna at the gym. Of course, it is better than the 90 degree temps this summer   If the weather is like it is this morning (74 degrees) but breezy and cloudy, it might be tolerable. I did the race last year (44 degrees) in 57' with a goal under 1 hour.  My goal is always just to improve my own time.

I'm just frustrated that it is unlikely that I'll see any improvement on my times in my upcoming races.  My training partner has been struggling all season, and I think, that's held me up a bit in my runs. Our last 10 mile run 2 1/2 weeks ago was disastrous (sp?). My 10 mile race in October wasn't all that bad, even though I didn't meet my goal, so I'm trying to remember that. Had a great 9 mile run a few weeks ago. I did 8.3 miles Sunday on my own, and it was OK (even running in the upper 60s). I usually run 3 times a week and have only missed out on that two weeks recently, when we went to Denver and when my husband was out of town. I think at this point the issue is mental.

OK, I'm done whining ... for now!  All is good, as I definitely learned something this season.  Now, off to make stuffing, cinnamon apples and green bean casserole.

LISA

Well I hate to make any predictions for next year, just because I never imagined that I'd be running at 10:25 even just last summer! Something just shy of 12:00 was about the best that I was able to do back then, and I had been training so long without much improvement in my pace that I figured the best I'd be able to get to would be maybe 11:30. So I guess my improvement is evidence that persistent training works, but the results can be unpredictable!

I'd be happy if this time next year I'm consistently somewhere under 10:00 for 5k distances, and 10:30 or so for 5 miles or 10k.

I'd say I'm solidly in race hibernation for now. I was actually feeling kind of burnt out between my job demands and the training (and I don't even train that much!) So this week I'm kind of taking it easy, and I don't have any races planned for now until tri season starts next year. But I just spent some significant cash on winter running gear so I'm planning to get my money's worth and keep up the training!

I wonder if I also suffer from small ear holes...! For the life of me I cannot get ear buds to stay in my ears when I run. I even have those around-the-ear thingies that have the pieces that hook behind the entire ear, but nope, those don't stay in either. I look around during races and see all these people with their ear buds staying firmly in place and wonder what's wrong with my ears! I actually resorted to using surgical tape to keep them on my ears when I did my last long run. I look like a weirdo, but I need my tunes to keep me going!

Hey everyone. I was just wondering if anyone does spinning classes for their bike training during the winter? A new spinning studio opened up about a half hour from my house and I'm considering checking it out. There are no membership fees or joining fees, you just pay per class (or you can buy bundles and get a better deal). I actually have never done a spinning class so I'm not even sure how it would compare to real riding or training on a roller. The alternative to spinning classes would be the roller, but I just can't imagine riding in my basement and staring at the wall for an hour... My husband offered to hook up the TV and DVD player in the basement if I get the roller so I could use the Spinerval DVDs, so we'll see...

Just wondering what everyone else does for the winter...?

Thanks!