FancyPants Group, Part 2- The Ladies Are FULL! (Page 27)

Hi, ya'll!

I have been SO out of it lately, but reading all of your posts about your races and training is inspiring.  Lovey - I don't know HOW you get the energy you have to do so much!  Awesome!

Last night, I ran in the Wilmington Games 5K last night and it was HOT!  All the people there were obviously serious runners - I felt very out of place!  I have only run once in the last month!  I was hesitant about doing the race, because I wasn't trained up, but I was afraid if I didn't JUST DO IT, I would never 'get back on the horse' so to speak.

I have been extremely unmotivated since I did the Celebration Sprint Tri at the end of June.   It's kind  of like I achieved my goal, so I'm done!  But I don't understand this because I really LIKED it!

My son ended up on the all-star baseball team, which went on to states, so the last few weeks were consumed with sitting at ball games, then at the beach...But, I know if I was motivated, I would have STILL found time to fit it runs and workouts.  I tend to be LAZY!  I would much rather sit and eat a bag of chips with dip and drink a Mojito.  Can someone speak to this?  Someone slap me up side the head, please!   

While I was running in the race yesterday, I was thinking "why am I doing this?"  Trying to tell myself about the alternative of getting really heavy like my mom, bascially handicapped by her weight.  Do I really want to need a scooter to get around? 

On another note, I find it hard to sometimes get onto this site, and I know some of you are on facebook.  If you are interested, I'd love to friend you - I'd probably be able to interact more frequently.

Sorry for the long post after such a long absence.  I do very much appreciate this group.

Joyce Harkey

 

I know exactly how you feel.  If you read my race report from the Trek tri, you'll see I am telling myself over and over, "What are you doing here, you haven't trained, you aren't ready...this is such a waste of time."  But I went ahead and did it because I knew I would be disappointed if I didnt.  Plus I knew it would be a good thing to get me motivated again, I'm always more motivated after a race.  I wish I could be that motivated before! 

If you're like me and tri's aren't your main hobby or focus it's hard to balance it all.  Some friends that I have on here are training for IM's etc and that is all they do.  I feel so inadequate when I compare myself to their logs because they are doing 2 a day's etc...and I'm struggling to get in once a day.

I, like you, have a mother who is over weight and her weight is beginning to make it so she won't go anywhere or do anything.  I also have an aunt (her sister) who was very active all her life and ran for several years and then switched to mountain biking.  When I start thinking about being too lazy I remind myself of which one I want to be like when it comes to activity. 

I think the important thing to remember though is to be active.  So maybe you aren't doing SBR...if you're out hiking, out walking, doing a Zumba class or something that's the important thing.  I hope to still do one tri every year, but I'm going to allow myself to do other fun activities also.  The idea is to make the training/exercise fun...not for it to become a chore. 

I'm rambling now...  I will look for you on Facebook, but I have to say I am more of a lurker and don't post much.    Keep moving

this is my Ironman season, and my Olympic is my Ironman. Next year will be devoted to Mike and his training for an Ironman, and I will still train and try to fit in a few key races.

Plus my kids are starting to race- Abs will do her first Tri next weekend, and Sophie (Age 3) is doing her first half mile fun run.

(sniff sniff)

Ginny and Joyce- it's just about moving. We all are running for, or from something. For me- I am running from genetics. Overweight parents, alcoholics on one side, heart attacks on an other. My mother has had one hip replacement and does not move much. I refuse to be still.

I'm always amazed by how much people train- or how little. So much of this sport is mental. Once you get your fitness level up, you just have to keep it here. By simply moving!

Ginny- you doing the Columbus Marathon or Half in October? I'm looking at the half- sort of looking at it, out of the corner of my eye...

I hear that is a great race, unfortunately it always falls the week after I get back from our fall diving trip.  This year we get home on Saturday and the race is on Sunday. 

You should definitely do it though, I hear there is great race support etc.  And that time of year it's usually beautiful out. 

Good luck w/Sylvania next weekend. 

I had an awesome race yesterday, missed Ginny and Jo (sniffle) at the women's race. I cut 15 minutes off my time from 2008 when I first did that race! I smoked the bike with a 17.9 mph average. AWESOME.

Heading into Sylvania, my big Oly distance debut. Nervous but ready, feeling very confident after a great OWS last week at the lake where the race is, and after a really good race weekend. Just have to get through this week.

Post race plans- a milky way dark bar in the freezer and then dinner out that night at Red Robin with my family, assuming I can move.

hope everyone had a great weekend!

Ginny, me and the columbus half are so a maybe. I want to do it and my mileage can get up there (I'm almost at 8 miles now) but I need to give myself some down time after the Oly. My body is pretty tired.

Thanks Ginny!  I appreciate your response SO much!  You're right about making activity fun... just to keep moving and keep it interesting.   I'm glad I'm not the only one who talks to herself. lol 

AWESOME avg speed on the bike... That's huge!

Last Friday, I did the practice swim and run for Iron girl. I completed the 1100 yard open water swim in 1 hour which happens to be the race time limit for the swim. I was glad I hit the mark but hope to improve on race day. Last year, I didn’t do the whole practice swim, only about 900 yards and it took me 1:20. Huge improvement. I had 2 swim buddies as well who stayed with me and looked like they were just floating along. The run was hard because I find I can’t breathe whenever I try to run after swimming. I even tried running a 15 min pace and still couldn’t catch my breath. I did a lot of walking on the course.

On Sunday, I went with a club member to ride the North East Triathlon bike course. What the heck was I thinking? That course was really challenging for me. I thought it was even more challenging (at least the first half) than Iron Girl’s challenging bike course yet I rode it 1 mile per hour faster than IG. Go fiqure. It could have been that I was with someone faster than when I am riding the IG course.

Two races this month: Iron Girl on 8/22 and I am deciding between a Women’s Distance Festival 5K on 8/14 (week before IG) or on 8/28 (week after IG). I don't want to jeapordize my IG race but I don't want to be too tired afterwards for the other one. Either one will have to be an easy pace instead of race pace.

Lovey

I did a 10 mile run at an easy slow pace. I haven't run a 10 miler ince May 22nd. My longest since then has been about 7.5 miles. It felt good to out running with my group.

Lovey

10 days until Iron Girl.

Today we got kicked out of the pool for a thnderstorm. I had only done 200 yards at that point.
Tonight I plan on a 6 mile run.

Upcoming runs/races:

8/14 - scheduled 8-10 mile long run
8/22 - Iron Girl
8/28 - womens 5K
9/4 - KofC 10K maybe??

I am not committed to running Knights of Columbus 10K yet but if I dont race it, I have to volunteer since our group is a sponsor.

Question:
Iron Girl is on Sun 8/22 and I am also training for my half mary on 10/16.
Being that this week long run is a week before IG, do I just shorten my long run or still do it? Its suppose to be 8-10 but I wouldn't go more than 8. Should I go even shorter?
Tonight I have a 5-6 mile run with my group.

Lovey

Iron Girl should take precedence as it is your A triathlon race. So shorten that run. You need to taper for 2 weeks prior to your tri so you reduce the lactic acid built up in your muscles. Good test- go walk up some stairs. Just walk. Did your legs burn? Then you have lactic acid built up in those puppies. You want to walk up those stairs on race weekend and feel the muscles a whole lot less.

I have not gotten my race report done from my Oly race- it was amazing and wonderful and one of the best races ever.

Sadly, it folllowed Saturday, which had my kids racing in the morning and us having to put our 12 year old black lab down by noon. ROUGH WEEKEND.

I will get to the race report- sometime next week. Right now I am busy with soccer stuff (team manager and it's the first week).

I'm learning more about bikes every day! 

I bought a new saddle for my bike instead of the old one that had been on it for 20 + years.  When it came the other day, it does not have anything to connect it to my seat post.  Doing some research, it looks like most newer bikes now come w/the clamps on the post and not on the seats?  I actually just bought a new seat post because the one that was in there wasn't the right size and I just got a replacement of what I already had.  Basically a metal tube that is open on the top. 

Is there any way to hook my new seat to this post or do I now have to go buy another post w/a clamp on it?  HELP!

Never mind I figured it out



Edited by scubagrrl 2010-08-17 7:23 AM

Thanks. I did shorten the run to 5 miles. I did the final group ride on the course on Sunday. I rode it 10 minutes faster than I did the week before. It was the first training ride I did with a group. I usually rode by myself or with one other person.

Today is a rest day. I really don't know how to really taper as I wasn't dfollowing a specific training plan.

My runs were based on my half marathon training plan and I just shortened my 8-10 mile long run the week before race day (that was Saturday).
My bike trainingas my own plan of 2x a week, once on the course and another shorter weekly ride or spin class whichever my schedule allowed.
My swimming was a swim training class 2x a week and I added a third swim following the Swim Zero to One Mile program. Never got to a mile nonstop though.

My plan this week is
Mon - rest
Tue - AM swim class (open water similation in the pool) /
Wed - bike easy 10 miles (easy terrain) / run a slow easy 3 miles
Thu - AM swim class (open water similation in the pool)
Fri - run a slow easy 3 miles, (run Thursday instead and rest Fri ??)
Sat - rest
Sun - RACE DAY

Good luck  Sunday Lovey.  Take it easy this week.  You have been very consistent in your training and now you can just relax and enjoy the race. 

Can't wait for a race report.

Ginny

Good Luck Lovey!

My body (specifically my left IT Band) is enjoying time off. Heading out Friday for a long road trip to Mass with the kids. Then I will get back and decide what to do- looks like my plan to do the Half Mary in Columbus Oct 17 is off due to my daughter's soccer schedule.

Again- LOVEY- good luck at Irongirl!

My taper plan this week was suppose to be
Mon - rest
Tue - AM swim class (open water similation in the pool) /
Wed - bike easy 10 miles (easy terrain) / run a slow easy 3 miles
Thu - AM swim class (open water similation in the pool)
Fri - run a slow easy 3 miles, (run Thursday instead and rest Fri ??)
Sat - rest
Sun - RACE DAY

SO FAR MY TAPER WEEK IS NOT GOING WELL as I hoped. So far it has been:
Mon - rest
Tue - swam about 500-600 yards at the pool while my kids played on the other side.
Wed - at home, noisy kids and MIGRAINE that pain killers seem to be scared of
Thu - babysitter didn't show up, had to go to work with the kids and MIGRAINE is a dull ache
Fri - who knows: does walking packet pick up count?
Sat - instead of rest I plan to do a 15 min swim-15 min bike - 15 min run to help loosen up at 7am
Sun - RACE DAY

I haven't slept well since Tuesday night and apparently I LOOK tired too.

Lovey

Lovey-

you will be fine. Just concentrate on hydrating and getting that migraine out of your system.

Good Luck!

I have a Garmin 305 but its not waterproof.
I also have a low end HRM watch (no gps) as well. The watch is waterproof but not the strap.

Is it worth the extra time to put the Garmin on before the bike ride or should I just wear the cheap watch thru the whole thing? Based on time, I can gauge my pace on the run. My bike has a computer so I can tell my time, speed, pace and distance.

Lovey

RACE REPORT - IRON GIRL COLUMBIA SPRINT TRIATHLON
August 22, 2010 (Sunday)
TRIATHLON: 1100 yards lake swim, 17.5 mile bike (hilly), 3.4 mile run (hilly)
COLUMBIA, MD @ Centennial Park

Race Number – 2435

I was in a panic after last year’s disaster. Summary version, 2009 I went way pass the hour cutoff with about 200 yards still to go and got pulled from the water and the race. After that, I joined a new triathlon swim class at the Y (thanks Sadj for telling me about it) to improve my swim. My MMTC mentor (Annacherie) and my coworker (Andrea) were my swim buddies for the IG practice swim. I did warn them I would be slow and it took me about an hour to finish.

The week before IG, I got in one short swim in and nothing else. I was so stressed that I had migraines for 3 days. The day before IG, I did a 15 min swim and bike with a fellow MMTC member and I felt a lot better then. I couldn’t sleep Saturday night because my heart wouldn’t stop racing but finally got about 4 hours of disturbed sleep.

I woke up in a panic on Sunday morning with my stomach upset and got to transition feeling more panicked. I was panicking about panicking on the swim. After leaving transition, I met up with Annacherie and my friend Debi (running and biking partner). Annacherie stayed with me, standing in the rain, until my wave got in the water. She was my calm in the middle of the storm. As I was entering the swim, I saw some ladies from my STARS running group. Nice to have their support too.

SWIM: With the rain, overcast skies and no sun, I’m glad I brought my non-tinted goggles as a back up. Treading water exhausts me so I went in as far as I could while still being able to stand. I stood there taking deep breaths and hoping to make it in the hour time limit. Then we were off. I did freestyle interspersed with breaststroke (my swim “walk breaks”). I was back of my wave and the last two waves past me but tried not to focus on that and kept going. No problem sighting and was happy to reach the turn around buoy. As I exited the swim, I looked at watch, 47 minutes!!

BIKE: Annacherie and my running ladies were cheering me on from transition to the bike start. It started raining on the bike. I didn’t panic because I did the Princeton Sports IG ride the previous week when it poured most of the way. Took me few miles to get into a rhythm but as slow as I was I passed a few people and I caught up to a few. So many people were cheering me on when I finished the bike, I felt so famous.

RUN: Run: I was tired so I run/walked the course. It was definitely not my best run but I finished

SWIM: 47:50
T1: 4:24
BIKE: 1:47:10
T2: 2:12
RUN: 53:40
TOTAL TIME: 3:35:14

Great job Lovey!  The swim portion can cause even a seasoned swimmer to panic.  Good job at relaxing and breathing...and 47 minutes!  That's great.

Are you going to do it again next year?

I don’t know if I want to do it again next year. The DC Tri was a tru sprint and didn’t take as much out of me in training. However, in hindsight, in June I finished the DC Tri half mile sprint in 45 minutes and 2 months later finished IG two-third mile swim in 47 minutes. Huge improvement even though I didn’t think I had.

If I don’t do IG as an individual, I will at least do it as a relay. If so, then I plan to do North East Tri Sprint. It’s a shorter swim (750 vs. 1100 yards), slightly shorter bike (15.6 vs. 17.5 miles) and slightly shorter run (3.1 vs. 3.3). However, I thought the northeast Tri bike ride was more challenging than IG. I rode it with a friend when she was training for it. It’s the week before Iron Girl.

I loved the DC Tri but its on father's day and I don't know if I can pull that off twice.

Lovey

Congratulations, LOVEY! Great job, your hard work all year really paid off, and major congratulations too you for overcoming last year's experience!

SHOE QUESTION/OBSERVATION:

I am on my 3rd and 4th pair of the Brooks Adrenaline 8s. I didn't start out doing a llot of miles.

First pair felt great, than at mileage 250 miles/ 1 year later, I got a toe injury out of the blue. I didn't hit it or anything. My doc said my shoes were worn out. At 250 miles!! I was bummed.

Second pair, at 250 miles / 9 months, I got another sudden injury out of the blue. Can u see a pattern here?

I felt like for that money, I should get more than 250 miles out the shoe. Anyway,

Third pair, at 225 miles/6 months, NO injury so I started rotating in the 4th pair. The third pair is at 271 miles / 7 months and pair 4 is at 57 miles/4 months. No injury so far. Now I use pair 3 for my short runs of 6 miles or less and the newer pair 4 for my long runs.

I guess I have to start rotating them in to get more life. I am moving into the Adrenaline 10s next. I din't really like the 9s when I tried them on but loved the light, sleek but supportive feel of the 10s. Now that my focus has shifted from tri to running, my miles will be increasing a lot. Is this weird or just normal for a running shoe.

Lovey

normal mileage is about 300 miles- but I think it depends on your running style.

I rotate at 300, as does my husband. Your plan sounds good to get more life out of them- hope it works!