KathyG's 2012 Awesome Mentor Group-Full up (Page 27)

You are one busy mother! Good for you! When I first told my doctor of my plans to 'get in shape' her first recommendation was swimming. Swimming is a whole body workout with the resistance of water and current working against you. As fa as weight bearing: the primary culprit to weight is gravity and as far as I can tell the laws of gravity are not repealed in water. I know, I'm a sinker! You are using a whole lot of muscles to keep yourself up as opposed to down in running and biking. Add to that the relative low impact and you have a darn good exercise. All things in moderation of course. The downside of swimming is pretty obvious and need not be mentioned here. Just my thoughts. Cheers!

Hey T1-thanks for your thoughts on swimming.  Definitely something to think about.  Yes, we are a super busy family with kid activities.  I make an effort to overcompensate for the fact I work full time and use a lot of time exercising. 

Today was a glorious rest day!!!  Slept in until 5:30 a.m., which felt so luxurious.  My legs needed a day of rest.  Husband and two kids visited for lunch, (today was a holiday for them) which meant I ate more than normal so felt sluggish all afternoon.  I tend to graze all day rather than eat a defined meal.

Swimming is great exercise, and while it probably doesn't burn as many calories as running or biking, its still a great way to get fit. I've read swimming burns about 25 cal/100 yards (good pace). As for muscle tone, you can expect some VERY good shoulder, lats & tri development. Think about it -- every time you 'pull' you're essentially pulling your body through some very dense liquid to move forward. THAT takes some strength to make happen. I also think swimming is great as its not weight bearing, and saves your joints the stress of pounding on the ground. The weight gain mentioned it probably from upper body muscle development, assuming she hasn't gone off to the local all you can eat buffet all the time.

Keep swimming!!!

And good luck with all the projects. You are a very busy person!

Judging by how starving I always am after swimming, I would say it burns a lot of calories.  Water is 784 times as dense as air so it takes some muscle to get through it.  Personally, my arms, shoulders and back have become more toned since I started swimming - enough for people to comment on it. 

My daughter's comment on the pictures was I like (her father would be so proud)! 

I agree, definitely a great form of exercise and spectator sport!

OMG look at those bods!  They have zero fat.  Thank you all for dispelling my irrational thinking.  I know it is counterintuitive but for some reason the gravity issue got the best of me. 

Yesterday was a hard 3000 swim.  Coach observed that I need to work on fewer strokes per length and concentrate on pulling fully through the end of each stroke. 

Today I will spin for an hour and may try and run at some point during work.  I have no meetings scheduled today so a mid day run is possible.

Today and tomorrow are science fair days at the elementary school.  The science fair is a big deal in our house.  Natalie, my 4th grader, has worked incredibly hard on her first ever entry.  Her experiment measured the rate of yeast growth using different food sources.  All the kids are hoping for a spot in the regional science fair in Mankato MN in April.

Good luck on the science fair!

Managed 3100 yards at the pool this AM. Kicked my own butt as best I could as I felt awful about missing my Monday swim. Ran nearly 7 miles yesterday, and I felt it the first half of my swim today. Felt slow, and seemed to be struggling. Water felt like syrup. About 1/2 way through it all seemed to work out, and I found my stroke, and things were far smoother.  Bike (trainer) tonight, bike/run brick tomorrow AM.

For those who have trained for a HIM, is it normal to feel sort of tired more often than not? I'm getting to a place in my training where I'm covering time & distance that is more than I've ever done before, and there are times when I just want to take a nap . Normal?

Interesting article on bricks. He brings up a point, about why bricks are important that isn't discussed often.

What are your guys thoughts on his points?

Great photos of some top notch swimmers. Dara had her knee surgery similar to me but with ACI by same docs I used.

Post swim hunger is do in part to your core being cooled down when swimming. One tip I picked up is to warm yourself up after your swim quickly by hot tub, long hot shower, sauna or something, which helps prevent that post swim hunger issue.

Mike: Very common to feel a bit of fatigue most all the time especially when training for a longer race for the first time. How is your training volume compare to a year ago....January 2011 hours vs January 2012 hours?

Having a co worker doing Patriot will be a nice bonus and someone with vast tri long course experience to talk with.

Mike - totally normal!

I read this article by Chrissie yesterday and it has kick started me, maybe some of you all will also find it inspiring... Train your brain!

Such a cool read -- thanks for the link!! Great ideas in there. I for one certainly need to focus on the positives. In just about every race I've done, somewhere about 1/2 way through the swim I'm *always* saying to myself -- "What am I doing? This su*$&ks! Why do I do this?", etc. I get over it, but still, sheesh . I like the bits about training being about learning to hurt, and to think of happy things, and positive people. I'm going to need to do that more often.

I found that article interesting and different than expected. I look forward to reading her book when it comes out in May.

I rode my cross bike outside today. First outdoor ride since surgery.

Clipping in and out was a little tough, but getting on and off my bike was hardest. I hope to go to a flat trail that is 6 miles long to ride later this week.

Hi - remember me?  So it's been a crazy month.  Just about when everyone got sick with that stomach bug, I got it as well, then started my 4 week business traveling to NYC, Chicago, Toronto and San Francisco.  I thought training for a IM was hard - it's cake compared to trying to workout while have a job that requires travel.  Kathy, I don't know how Kevin does it. I may need to get some pointers from him.

Anyway, I am here, if you will still have me. I actually swam today for the 1st time in 13 months.  Wasn't too bad.  My arms got tired before my lungs did.  My goal is to swim twice a week.  I also ran outside for a bit.   I feel like I should take the bike out tonight, just because it's 60 degrees here. 

I hope everyone is doing well. 

I'm so sorry I've been MIA.  It's been a tough week.  The runner in our race passed.    Two of my friends performed CPR on him.  They knew he was gone but they did what they could do until paramedics arrived.

Please be sure to live each moment as if it is your last.  This sweet man left this world while doing something dear to him.  He was 84.  My friend that helped him first said that he did not suffer.  He just sat down and was gone.

Yes, the fast people that you run with are impressive, but it's the slow people and older folks that are the true heros.

Crap.  Life.  It's so fleeting.

Dammit.  I'm crying again.

Sorry to hear about your week Tracy.  I hope you are feeling better. 

I made it to the gym again today.  It's amazing to me that my endurance really hasn't gone down as much as I thought.  My muscles and joints have though.   I have to travel again next week, so we will see how it goes. 

Tracy, so sad to here that your runner died, but wow, what a way to go; you said he "just sat down and was gone" and that is a wonderful way to pass - quickly, simply and with dignity doing something he loved at a ripe old age.  How sad for your friends that performed CPR - that must have been so tough.  My eyes are misting as I type this and I hope you are coping well with the sadness.

Kiri, thanks so much for posting the Chrissie link, she is one class act, so many of the things she said are inspiring, I too am really looking forward to the book.  One that really struck me was her comments about hurting in training. 

"Push your physical limits and overcome them in training sessions, so that when you race you know that you have successfully endured pain and discomfort."

I rarely push myself so hard that I hurt and get through it.  Discomfort maybe, but not real hurt, I'm too scared I injure myself.  How much does everyone else hurt during training?

Tracy, very sad to read that he passed. Good to read he was doing what he enjoyed at the time. It is a reminder to me to make the most of the time that is given to me.

Kiri, thanks for the article! Made me realize that I am learning that every time mind says " H E Double Hockey Sticks No!" and yet I still get on the bike or go to the gym gets me to what Chrissie is talking about. I find it amazing how physically WEAK my mind can be. By far, it has been my biggest nemesis. This is why I am here: to draw inspiration from those who have conquered.

I am still an infant in comparison to all of you, but I WILL get there.

Tracy, how sad; he was doing something he enjoyed when he passed.

How are your friends doing that performed CPR? I can only imagine many emotions going on for them.

Reminder of how precious life is.

What are your plans for training this weekend?

How goes the nutrition challenge?

Anyone contemplating any new tri related purchases?