Allison and Ryan's Beginner Mentor Group - FULL (Page 27)

I am a triathlete!

Finished inside the course limit! 4:11 ish - Will post race report a bit later and official times as soon as they are posted. It was ROUGH! Had a really hard time catching my breath on the beginning of the swim, had to keep flipping on my back and breast stroking. Finally found my rhythm then got swam over 4 times.

Coming out of the water, you crossed a blacktop path and there was loads of wet sand, and I took a HUGE spill. Great for your confidence hearing all the people yell OOOHHHH as you hit the pavement. Knee and elbow and shoulder scraped up pretty good and sand EVERYWHERE. Was shocked to see the time of 55 at the end of the run into T1.

Was glad I had a water bottle at T1 to clean my feet, as at least I got some of the sand off.

Bike was rough! Rolling hills, but it seemed like they were non stop. Didn't drink about half my water or hornet juice as I just didn't get a break between hills. Felt like I was going to throw up the whole time. Had a lot of "what was I thinking" thoughts

Took my time in T2, tried to get a bit more sand off. Was trying to figure out how the heck I was going to run when I was SO tired. Thank goodness my girlfriend and her 3 fabulous kids were right outside T2! I did walk a lot on the run, but I finished STRONG and had great friends and family there to cheer my finish, 2 of my girlfriend's kids even ran the chute with me! Was amazing to hear the announcer say runner 111 finishing strong!

Hello TRIATHLETE and congratulations!  It sounds like you had a good race and overcame a lot of obstacles and stayed strong throughout the entire race. A lot of people might have given up after taking a spill after the swim but you stayed with it which is awesome! You might have felt horrible during the race but it sounds like you feel great now about becoming a triathlete and accomplishing your goals which is wonderful.

Now on to that marathon training.  The Chicago marathon course runs right by our condo so I'll be out there cheering for you if I'm in town that weekend.

Thanks!

Official results in. Race report posted.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=260151&posts=1&start=1

I was last in my age group, but not last overall - that's pretty cool! Super pleased to have come in at 4:05 as I was just hoping to finish before the course closed which would have been 4:34. My very optimistic hope was 4:00 and I was right there

Taking a rest day today Feeling extremely happy and proud.

Oh! Forgot to add I happily and proudly added my Tri. magnet to the back of my truck before I drove home =D Also that I enjoyed a post race celebration oatmeal stout I had packed in my cooler with my family and friends before they left and I packed up to head home

Awesome job Shannon, sounds like you had a blast!

So I fell a little short of my weekly goal of trying to get all my workouts in but the good news is that at least I can pedal without pain on the bike so I can work and do training rides...

Recovery week starts tomorrow and I am going to try to get a 45 min run in tonight, depending on how the toe feels about it, which will leave me 1 run and 1 swim short on the week but I know I can get it done this week without a problem since I don't have any family visiting this week.  This weeks goal is to get at least three good stretching sessions in as my hamstring is starting to feel tight again and I have been neglecting stretching.

I have ended up with 2 flats in the last week on my bike and I believe that my tires are getting a little worn, they came with the bike when I bought it and looked worn then.  Any advice on decent tires that I can use to train and race with?

Great job Shannon! I'm really impressed! Especially tackling an Oly for your first tri.  I didn't even do a full spring on mine! LOL. Enjoy your accomplishment.

Tripopo, I'm using Conti GP4000s and like them so far.  I can't tell you if the tires are better or not but they're supposed to be faster than the tires that came on my bike.  If I'm honest though, I got these tires because they come in different colors and I wanted to pimp my ride a bit.  I've got a red bike so I got me some red tires!

Ok, here's my training question for the day.  What do you do when you're running out of time? Tripopo's post about a taper week reminded me that I'm not really following a plan anymore.  I just sort of picked-up where I left off.  The problem is that I just don't see where I can squeeze in anymore time.  My swim sessions (after changing, showering etc.) are almost an hour. Long runs can get to an hour (+ I'm trying to run more now) and bike sessions take way more than an hour now.  At the end of the week I'm putting in 1hr+ a day on work-outs and I just don't see where there's anymore time between work, family, and home.

Related to that, do you think I'm overtraining?  I'm only planning on doing 1 more race this year, a longer sprint in October (600m Gulf swim, 18mile bike, 5krun). 

Thanks!~

Glad your toe is doing better. I'm also guilty of neglecting the stretching and then feeling tighter and tighter. For me the danger is my calves, but with the biking, I've definitely been feeling it in the quads and hammies.

Ouch on the 2 flat tires! I'm a total bike newb but would it be a question of the tires or the tubes causing the flats?

Thanks!!

I think that is a general issue with all endurance training. It is a time consuming sport. For me, my longer trainings are on the weekends, and especially for the long runs and rides, earlier is better to beat the heat, so even though I don't like waking early, I try to get them in early in the morning. I'm lucky and can shower at work, so my short training runs during the week I can do at lunch. I wish I could do more training at lunch, but we only have a locker room, no workout room. I'd say maybe try the early morning thing, but I can't manage that personally so I hate to recommend someone else try it out

I'm not one to accurately gauge overtraining. I tend to pendulum between really training hard and heavy and blowing it off and doing hit or miss training.

My goal between now and October is to be more consistent and stick to my training schedule. If it were me, I'd take a look at my original plan and try to bridge the gap between what I missed and where I was scheduled to be as gradually as I can so that I end up at the same place in the end (time/distance/effort wise). But I'm NO expert.

Shannon - congratulations on finishing your first tri! I am with Keye, though - kudos for you to try your first at an olympic distance. You are great!

Mary

Thanks thanks! I feel pretty psyched. I'm surprised that I don't feel nearly as beaten as I did after my first marathon last year, however I did not pack my running bag today to hit the pavement at lunch as originally planned. Do feel pretty tired and a bit sore.

You would think that my last episode of running midday would have taught me a lesson.

Nope.

Went for a run at lunch today.  Temperature was 93* with high, HIGH humidity.  Brought lots of water with me and decided to take it at an easy pace. I justified as "Heat Training".  You should normally go slow, easy, and short on hot training days.

Me, for some strange reason I turned it into a LSD.  Felt good at first but it was HOT. Dogged it on the way back and ended walking a bit. Water was all gone before the run ended and my shirt AND shorts were soaked with sweat.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Sorry to hear that Wushnut.

I actually did learn not to run in the heat this time around, mostly because I checked the weather and saw 115 degree heat index and since it is my day off I slept in a bit so it was a chance to do a swim/run brick at the gym and on the treadmill.  Does anyone else feel like you run harder to get a slower pace on the treadmill?  I know that everyone says you actually are running at a slower pace then RW running but I find it to be the opposite I feel comfortable at an 8-9 min mile on the road but struggle to do more than 1 mile at a less then 10 min/mile on the treadmill, maybe I'm not runnign correctly on it oh well.  Ordered a new tire today so will have it next week.

Have a good one everybody

ugh, sorry about the slow run Wushnut - though I am always soaked through with sweat after every run :P

I can't run on treadmills (get shin splints), so I don't have a great reference for you tripopo. I look forward to getting some speedwork in as I train for chicago marathon in Oct - maybe I can pick my base speed back up to where it during the last decade

I will say I was glad I had trained in the heat as it was quite hot for my tri and although I was surely tired after bike/swim it didn't feel abnormal for me to be doing my run in the heat. the people with the hoses were very welcome however

Sounds like struggle season around here - injuries, crises, questioning. I can relate.

I have been quite motivated to get out to train, but most of my workouts the "inner whiner" starts acting up about 2/3 of the way through. "Why are we doing this? It's too hard. Let's just quit; we can pick up again tomorrow." I've done a good job ignoring this naggy voice so far, but that doesn't seem to make it shut up.

Really enjoying swimming with the masters' club at my Y. I get out of the pool totally wiped out every time. One of the coaches has been giving me some very helpful form/technique tips too. On the clock I am not much faster, but I do feel my endurance is building.

Also started running with some marathon guys at my church. They will do a "recovery run" after having a big run, and I find their idea of a "recovery run" is about where I am for my big run of the week.

Overall my total weekly training time is about the same, but I feel like I'm getting more effective training and less "junk miles" or "junk minutes."

Injury front: thank goodness, nothing major. I do have a nagging/sore achilles on the left that I am trying to nurse along. It doesn't feel like an actual injury at this point, but it does feel a bit overstressed and I don't want it to progress.

After a lot of dithering about dates and distances, I finally decided on my 2nd (and final) race of this year - the 2nd of my career - and entered the Muncie Multisport Olympic race on September 3. I was going back and forth on doing another Sprint vs. an Olympic, but finally settled on the Oly because I just feel like it will be more of an accomplishment for me (more motiviating perhaps). Must say after reading about Shannon's epic effort and Wushunut's experience running in the heat, I am wondering if I should have my head examined.

Haha. I know exactly who you mean by "inner whiner."  I just want to beat that guy to a bloody pulp sometimes. Sounds like you're getting some really good resources your way alath.  I'm kind of jealous. 

Tripopo, I know exactly what you mean with the treadmill.  The funny thing is that I started out on the treadmill and improved steadily until I went to run outdoors.  Running outdoors was tough at first but I got used to it.  Oddly enough now that I'm used to running outdoors I find that I can't run on the treadmill anymore.

LOL go for it! I think with a sprint under your belt, you'll be much better prepared than I was!

I'm with you wushunut - I started on the treadmill (really glad I did since dealing with traffic and sidewalk cracks would have put me over then edge then) - and when I started outside I felt extra heavy. It was hot enough one day last week, that I decided to try running on the treadmill indoors, where there was air conditioning and it was awful. I feel clumsey and clodd-like. I like being able to see the great outdoors.

So now I just start earlier in the morning. Luckily the humidity is down a bit now. I'm slowly getting back into the idea of working out - good thing since my next tri is coming pretty soon. There are just so many things to distract you in the summer, I guess.

Mary

Missed my ride yesterday but I'm ok with that, worked some overtime and got off at about 0700 and was too tired to do anything but crawl into bed for a few hours and when I got up a little after noon I had 130 DEGREE HEAT INDEX!!  so decided that I didn't want to boil in my helmet and was going to try to ride that evening well summer heat= summer storms so I got an unexpected rest day...

Going to make it up by doing a bike run brick today since it shouldn't be as hot today.  Saw a new (to me) app/accessory for the iPhone called iBike apparently makes it into a GPS cyclocomputer anyone have any familiarity with it?

I use an iphone app called Run Keeper that does a gps trail when I ride my bike or run. That way I can get accurate mileage. It doesn't do any kind of cadence thing, but it does track distance and time. I'll have to check out iBike though - maybe it does more precise bike related things.

Mary

Wife's little brother and sister are coming into town so I wont be able to do my race at the end of the month but I am good for the one in mid august and the oly in september which I'm stoked about.  I guess everyone is out doin it this weekend since we've been a little slow on the boards...

I got permission?, not sure if this is the right word maybe more like got the go ahead, from the wife to do an Ironman race next fall, looking into either IMFL or cozumel anyone know anything about the races?  It appears that it would be mid 70-mid 80 race day for cozumel which is where I'm leaning so is that going to be wetsuit legal?

My race schedule for next year will be

• January- Charleston Marathon
• April- Try Charleston Half
• May- Police Unity tour, not a race but a 4 day 320 mile ride to raise money for National Law enforcement Memorial in DC
• November- Ironman
• proabably a few sprints mixed in during the summer

Does that look ok to folks or am I biting off more than I can chew?

Sorry to hear that you won't be able to race at the end of the month. Your schedule looks great to me for next year.  Your runs and bikes are early enough you will still have time to easily recover and keep training for the Ironman in the fall.  I would look at some of the race reports from last year and before for those two races. There is also a section on this BT board that focuses on several different races but not sure if there is one of either of those but you could always start a thread in the Ironman distance section?  Some of the Ironman races sell out ridicously fast so be ready to sign up for one when registration opens!

Hey everyone. I'm still around too and getting used to training in the heat! My training has been spotty as well. My weekend have been occupied with getting the house ready for the arrival of our 2nd child.  So I've had too full weekends of moving furniture all around the house.  Doesn't help that we have a two story home.   Why no "furniture moving" option in the training logs? Needless to say I've got some strenth training in and I am sore!  Biking has taken the big hit since I tend to do my long rides on the weekends.

Signed up for a 5k last minute that I'll be running tomorrow! Hoping for a new PB.