Super Cats Mentor Group - CLOSED (Page 26)

Well one of the reason you do bricks is to see how your body reacts and get used to it...

Its really important to do them a few times before a race so the feeling doesnt throw you!

Sulcus - 2009-05-15 3:10 AM

losta - 2009-05-14 12:06 PM I just picked up a flyer the other day in NYC that was about May being bike month, listing rides and bike clinics. I think there are a few bike maintenance clinics, I'll have a look and let you know.

Sulcus - 2009-05-14 11:59 AMListen, I know that I'm racing as a Clydesdale but you don't have to rub it in and require me to wear a bra too, do you? 

kaqphin - 2009-05-13 11:00 PM

Bra (wear it)

Thanks for the list!  It is really helpful.  I hear what Dogwood Girl is saying, except I need to learn how to change a flat.  I assume you learn by doing so I need to experiment on my own bike.  Doing so should be interesting then...

I hope everyone's training is going well or goes well today!

I'd appreciate it!  I did a quick search but most of the stuff I found wouldn't work too great for my timeframe.  I wish I had thought of this earlier!



Speaking of the bike, this is going to sound like a silly question but you all humor me so that I can ask it:

Since I am using good old fashioned running sneaker and pedals on my bike, where exactly should the contact point with my feet be?  I can't find a good answer anywhere...is it the ball, like I've been thinking, or somewhere else?

A not so silly question is after an hour long bike ride, I tried a short jog to see how my legs would react and my calf cramped uncotrollably.  I think it was a dehydration issue because I tend to sweat alot and only drank 1/3rd of a bottle of water.  What do most of you take in during an hour long bike ride in terms of fluid?

Thanks everyone for dealing with me. 

Hi Shawn - ball of your foot for the bike ride sounds good to me... I actually find it awkward to ride with platform pedals beacuse I never really learnt hard but thats definatley where the contact point it meant to be!!!

In terms of your calf... well there are a few things yuo can do to help but it is a little personal....

1) Make sure you are stretching your calves etc regularly... I find if mine arent happy to begin with that makes the whole experience really unpleasant

2) Drink little and often when riding... dont wait until you are gulping down but take little sips of water throughout your rides. Generally for workouts around an hour you dont NEED anything more than water as long as you have been eating well and regulalry up to your session

3) If you wat to try with an electrolyte/calorie drink like gatorade or a salt tab dropped into your water bottle like Nuun to see if that helps go for it. The tablets should include potassium and magnesium if you chose to go this route. Just a warning whether thigs helps or not is up for some debate (esp here on BT) but some people swear by it and Im a big fan of trying for yourself and making your own decisions!

Personally I find on long rides (2 hours plus) I do like some gatorade or something if Im not having a coffee/food stop. On shorter rides plain water or in summer I will had a salt tab to one of my two water bottles. While i havent notived issues with cramping etc I DO find Im a really salty sweater and often crave things like potato chip sandwiches after a ride where Ive ended up covered in salt... when using the tablets it seems to balance this out a bit so... not entirely sure what this means!!!

Once your long rides are over about 90 minutes i would start thinking about what to eat before the ride, after for recovery and during to keep the legs moving...

Ok its been mentioned a little in this last page... but there are some essential bike skills you NEED to know...

1) How to change a tube if you get a flat (including getting the wheels off the bike, the tyre off the wheel, how to check the tyre etc and then put it all back together)

2) How to clean and maintain your chain

3) How to give the rest of your bike a basic clean...

There are some great videos here on BT to get you started if you dont have any ideas or access to another cyclist/bike shop to help you!

Super Cats guide to transitions...  Part 1..... the set up

Once you know what you need to have in transition you then need to work out how to set it up... here is how I do it...

First I rack my bike... (counting racks or working out landmarks so I know where to find my transition area when I enter from the various entrances out of the swim and off the bike)

Next to my bike I put down my towel... usually folded in half as you do not have a lot of space. I have a really really bright stripey towel to make it easy to spot.

At the back of the towel I put down a spare water bottle (I also have at least one bottle on my bike) and next to that my running shoes. The shoes are placed left foot on the left side, right foot on the right side... makes sense right! You want to make it as EASY for yuorself to grab and but them on in racing conditions

If Im wearing socks I actually put them on my feet and then bunch them up as I take them off so they are rolled up (kind of like before you put stockings on) so that when I do come to put them on I can easily pull them on to my feet. I place one sock in/on each shoe once again so its easy to handle when I come into transition

At the front of the towel I put down my cycling shoes facing forward (like the running shoes) and on top of them I place my hemet (upside down and with the back on the toes of my shoes so I can just slam it on my head!

In the helmet I place my sunglasses already open and ready to slam on my face. If Im putting on clothes before i hop on the bike these then get placed on top of the helmet... once again facing in the optimum direction so I can just throw it on...

I take with me my goggles, race chip and swim cap (and wetsuit if you have one) that you get given in your race packet...

Thats it... I have nothing else in my transition area... and take up very little space!!! All other stuff stays in my back pack which i check in/put in the holding area or leave with a friend...

Here endeth part one....

Next... how to actually practice transitions!!!

Thanks!! Hope this stuff is helping!!!

Youll turn up on race day hopefully knowing a lot more than other beginners... as a result Im hoping you will be able to relax and enjoy the experience  once it gets underway and you realise you know whats going on

Super Cats Guide to Transitions -Part 2

So... one of the golden rules I know I say HEAPS is nothing new on race day and (within reason) its really really important which brings me to what part 2 is about.... PRACTICE!!! 

Its easy to get nervous before a race... but if you are confident with your training and trust it you will feel heaps better. One of the things you can practice is your transitions.

For example...BRICKS (bike - run workouts) 

To do a Brick workout effectively you need to be organised... before you leave for your bike ride you need to have anything you need to pick up for your  run (ie cap, water bottle, gels etc). Then go for your ride... when you get back to the house (or car- I tend to do my bricks from the car in myfavourite riding spots that I drive to) you change over what you need to, stash your bike and head straight for a little run.

When you are practicing the changeover you are not rushing...just being methodical and learning what its like for your legs to FEEL the change from bike to run. These can be done on a spin bike/treadmill if need be - not quite the same as outdoors but will give you a feel for it!!!

One thing that people often neglect, however, is the swim to run transition. When you finish your swim you then generally jog to the transition area to prepare for your ride. Some people canfind the change from horizontal to vertical a bit disorientating so if you can say do a swim workout and then throw on some shoes/tshirt and gofor a bit of a jog I would highly recommend it...

Swim to bike can also be practice but I tend to find this is the least important as most people dont seem to have as much trouble with this change. But if you can say ride to the pool, swim and then ride home that would be great!

When doing these kinds of workouts you should, at least a few times before your race, wear the clothes you are planning on wearing for the event. You do not want to find your shorts ride up or your shirt has a seam that rubs your armpit on the day of the race. Or that your sportsbra does not dry and gets wet and icky... trying your clothing choice out BEFORE the race in training solves all these issues.  This includes practicing putting clothes on over your wet swimsuit if you are going this way...just after your swim thro w on your planned race gear and check its doable...nothing special required here!!

Other things you can practice is laying out your transition area at home (minus the bike) to check you are familiar with where everything will be on race day.

Part 3 - transitions on race day is still to come..... but will let you digest this stuff first!

Hi Patch - I understand where you are coming from.. while once upon a time my cardio fitness was my limiter on the run these days its my legs and joints... when I take my walk breaks during a session its NOT because of my breathing etc its because my legs are tightening or weird or cranky or whatever...

Hang in there and be consistent.... promise you will improve from there!

I know a lot of us have talked about loosing weight but how are you going Dee?

And everyone else?

D001 - 2009-05-18 4:22 AM

kaqphin - 2009-05-17 8:54 AM

D001 - 2009-05-17 10:50 PM

kaqphin - 2009-05-17 12:44 AM I understand where you are coming from.. while once upon a time my cardio fitness was my limiter on the run these days its my legs and joints... when I take my walk breaks during a session its NOT because of my breathing etc its because my legs are tightening or weird or cranky or whatever...

Everything Cat just said ^^^. Although I've put some weight on too, which I'm sure is not helping.

I know a lot of us have talked about loosing weight but how are you going Dee?

 

And everyone else?

Uh, I haven't been trying to lose it.... I eat when I'm stressed, or bored, or doing "mindless things like watching TV." My biggest issue right now is work. I put in too many hours, and am always stressed out about it.... As a result, I miss workouts, and I end up doing "mindless eating." So my priority now isn't "losing weight" as much as it's figuring out how to reduce "work-related stress." Plus, I use the TV and computer as an escape from work problems. And I eat while doing those things. So, we're right back to the work issue. Also, my metabolism has slowed down significantly. Due to ovarian cancer, I'm lacking several important hormones. And thyroid issues have slowed my metabolism too. These factors have caused my body to lose muscle tone and gain fat. I also worry about bone breakage. Other than that, everything's going just fine. LOL On the plus side, I spent an hour today reading about how to deal with "work-stress." (Which also meant an hour of not-working, which is a step in the right direction.)

That makes sense... stressed and bored are two of the many reasons I eat... pity a lot of these things seem to happen for me at work too!

Hormones are a pain in the.... lets just say I havent had great experiences. When i was sick i was on the nasty drugs for so long i had no real cycle for well over a year. Once i came off them it took ages to come right but now it has its gone the other way and Im getting hormone related issues like a hormonally charged teenager.... grrr.... I think its my bodies way of taking revenge!!!

Have you had a bone density scan or anything Dee? I know I have to be aware of Osteoporosis being an issue for me in future years because of the medication etc i was on... The exercise will help as long as you dont over do it...

Good luck with it... any step in the right direction is good... just try to remind yuorself you cant do it all at once so focus on one or two key things at a time!

D001 - 2009-05-18 9:49 AM

kaqphin - 2009-05-17 7:11 PM That makes sense... stressed and bored are two of the many reasons I eat... pity a lot of these things seem to happen for me at work too!

Hormones are a pain in the.... lets just say I havent had great experiences. When i was sick i was on the nasty drugs for so long i had no real cycle for well over a year. Once i came off them it took ages to come right but now it has its gone the other way and Im getting hormone related issues like a hormonally charged teenager.... grrr.... I think its my bodies way of taking revenge!!!

Have you had a bone density scan or anything Dee? I know I have to be aware of Osteoporosis being an issue for me in future years because of the medication etc i was on... The exercise will help as long as you dont over do it...

Good luck with it... any step in the right direction is good... just try to remind yuorself you cant do it all at once so focus on one or two key things at a time!

Yes, I've had two bone density scans since my operation. I have osteoporosis. (This is why I worry about falling, like from a bike.... And if it's like this now, I don't want to think about what it'll be like in 20 years!) You were on prednisone, I think? Have you had a bone scan? Also, did they test your vitamin D levels? I'm justifying the extra weight as "additional weight bearing exercise that's good for building bone." LOL (Joking...)

No scans yet but there will be in my future... I Was on the highest doses they allow orally for a year... as well as lower doses for longer...

I was on Calcium and Vit D for all of that time and probably should get back into taking them! As I am obviously prone to osteoporosis in the future.

In terms of your body in general the running will be helping heaps and my understanding is a good resistance routine will make a HUGE difference as well so it might be worth looking into some sort of basic routine twice a week....

Wow if the extra weight is a good thing maybe i should worry less about mine

D001 - 2009-05-18 10:12 AM

kaqphin - 2009-05-17 7:58 PM No scans yet but there will be in my future... I Was on the highest doses they allow orally for a year... as well as lower doses for longer...

I was on Calcium and Vit D for all of that time and probably should get back into taking them! As I am obviously prone to osteoporosis in the future.

In terms of your body in general the running will be helping heaps and my understanding is a good resistance routine will make a HUGE difference as well so it might be worth looking into some sort of basic routine twice a week....

Wow if the extra weight is a good thing maybe i should worry less about mine

Yes, the running is good. As is the strength training. (Anything that's weight bearing - which is why I said that more weight = more weight-bearing exercise = more benefit. LOL) Swimming and biking are less helpful, but I have to believe that if it builds muscle, it must have at least SOME benefit. (Plus, I like them.)

Swimming is good for upper body strength and cardio fitness while not related so much to the osteoparosis will be great for yuor long term health and fitness.... cycling too..

Are you doing a strength routine?

Twice a week would be plenty and just do compound exercises hitting the main muscle groups if you dont have huge amounts of time...

Something like sets of 3 x 12 :

Squats, Lunges, Push ups or Chest Press, Lat Pulldown/One Arm Rows, Shoulder Press or Lat Raises, Biceps/Triceps (if you want) and a good core/lower back routine would be PLENTY for starting out!

You can mix it up and add in more legs as well as changing the exercises but you basically want to hit all the main muscles in the legs as a group (working functionally), Back, chest, shoulders, arms (optional) and Core/lowerback