Baowolf's Mentor Group - Sorry Closed. (Page 28)

Wow! The last 2 weeks have flown by. I've caught up with the posts, and it is great to see all the great training happening. I'm sorry to hear of the injuries people are struggling with, and I am hoping for quick healing for you all. The good news about the last two weeks is I've gotten a ton of things done, and I've logged all my workouts. The bad news is I haven't gotten much training in. Hopefully painting, moving furniture and applying for jobs somehow transfers to triathlon fitness. Things are starting to slow down in real life and my triathlon life is starting to come back into existance. Last night I swam for a full half hour and ended with 400yds nonstop and felt like I could have kept going another 400 possibly more. Too bad there was a pool class so I had to get out of the pool.

Keep up the great work everyone; stay safe with the all the crazy people out there lately; and heal safe and smart.

Pam - thanks for the inspiration message. I usually am good at motivating myself, but I need a kick in the pants from others from time to time. Congrats on your marathon completion, PR, and retirement!

So, this AM I went out and tried this thing which I've heard people call 'running'. Thought I'd give it a whirl, and I found it makes you quite tired and I wasn't able to go far, just shy of 3.2 miles in just over 28 minutes. Seems like it could be fun once you do it consistently, as if you were following a plan, and wow, wouldn't it be great to actually do that? 

LOL, thanks for the laugh this morning Mike!  I'm taking Carol's advice and starting my wife's keto diet tomorrow....so I can focus on something that will help me in future races!  I'm going to enjoy a busy day of my sons hockey/basketball events and try not to move too much when I'm coaching today!

Hope everyone keeps kicking butt with their training!  Here's to hoping I join you again soon!

Good morning everyone. Bummed we haven't heard from Steve. With his longer absence I'm guessing something has happened. I'll be praying for him and his family. 

Training training training.

I put in a full build week. Did an 11 mile run today and felt ok. Not great, but ok. I"m at the height of my training for next months 70.3  and I can feel the cumulated fatigue.

I am already looking forward to the taper and grateful I've not had any injury to slow any of my training plans down. 

Wishing you all continued recovery and good health. 

Mike D, I feel ya!

I did a 4.11 miler this morn.  Used to be my short route but now it was my long run!  I figured I would run at my old long run pace and see how it felt.  That's about all I had although my long runs used to be 10 ++. 

I know it's going to be a while until I am race ready so I am really enjoying every step out there.  Maybe 6 to 8 more weeks of this and I will think about signing up for a short one, maybe Olympic.  OH yeah, I have only done Full and Half Ironman distances.  Nothing shorter that that for tri's so I am looking forward to it. My 1st Tri was in 2011 and it was a full Ironman.  What an experience but now I want to actually be able to race it.

Keep on keepin' on everyone.  Hope Steve is alright...

Yes, I'm definitely worried about Steve .   Doesn't look like he's logged since last weekend.

Mike, your cracking me up!  I feel the same about the bike and pool...except haven't even tried on those lately.

Jay, great job on shifting your focus.  You will be back lighter and poised for greater things!

Kate, your training is awesome, and sounds like you are right on track in terms of being tired, not injured, and ready to taper.  I was feeling really ground down towards the end of this marathon trainign cycle.  But just wait until your legs are fresh....I'm there now. 

Yesterday's run in on a "safer" route took me by a local elementary school and neighborhood.  Shortly after that, I find out that they are searching house to house in said neighborhoood, helicopters, school on lockdown, the whole bit.  Didn't catch the fugitive.  Then, this morning as I'm getting dressed to go to the lake to run at the local running club (safety in numbers you know), my husband tells me they shot and killed him last night right on the 8 mile route at the lake I was about to do.  Went on out there and ran.  Reporters gathered at the 2nd water stop, police blocking the normal route, etc.  Seriously surreal and scary week, and so very glad that they got the guy before he hurt anyone else. 

MTA (simulposting): Mitch, nice run and GREAT attitude.  I believe you will be back stronger and wiser, but enjoying the journey is the best.

Anthony, think I missed yours too...glad to see you back!

Carol - You are a great encourager! And I do appreciate knowing y'all are supporting me and you completely understand what it's like. 8 days til you race...woohoo!

Mitch - I have had some moments on run when I reflect back, but mine are always me remembering when I couldn't run 30 minutes straight and three miles was crazy far. Now I can run 10+. The body is simply amazing. Yay for you!

Ken - I'm sure the donation of blood had much to do with how you felt. I don't think they would recommend any excercise after that, especially not an 8 mile run. But i would've done the same thing

Anthony - Way to get caught up on life. I find myself sometimes taking a  day or more to get things organized so my training will fit in with the rest, then I'm good to go. But while everything is messy I find training difficult to get done.

Mike - I officially welcome you back into the club of the crazy people who think running can be fun. You're official initiation has ended as of today...haha.

Kate - Great job on your long run and getting through another build week. You are getting to the point where just getting in the miles is really all that matters, and taking a day off when you need it even if it isn't scheduled. Listen to your body (all this wisdom comes from our mentor Steve) And you will either love taper or not. Some people go stir crazy; I, on the other hand, embrace down time.

So I am quite worried about Steve and am starting to brainstorm ideas to find out what is going on with him. Does anyone know his last name? I was thinking we could find it in old race participant lists from races he's been in. He did Vineman and Boston marathon a couple years ago. I don't want to freak him out by searching for info, but this is just not like him. What do you guys think?

Training is going well. This week I will have all my scheduled sessions done except one bike. I decided staying up really late  Wednesday night was a good idea. It affected me much worse than I thought it would. After work I headed out for my run and could barely make my legs move, so I cut the run short and skipped the evening bike ride so I could get to bed early. I won't do that again. Last night I did 3100yars in the pool. It went well and I am getting better at a higher cadence and still work on keeping my core tight and rotating my hips. My shoulders are getting tighter as time goes by an my legs are feeling the effects of the mileage going up. Overall I think things are going well though.

Happy weekend!

Quick checkin and please forgive me if I don't respond to everyone.  Been in the cold and the wind all afternoon watching son's ballgames and I'm cold, tired, mentally out of it, and creaky from sitting on those bleachers.

I started to shoot Steve a PM mid-week and then got to wondering if he was out of town.  Now I'm like everyone else and getting more worried.  Kate, I like your suggestion and will be praying for him and his family. 

Carol, so glad they caught the guy.  I knew he would go down fighting but it's still sad.  Thankfully tho there wasn't anyone else hurt.

Kate, you are slaying it with your training!!!  Yes, you are going to be tired but you are hitting it spot on and getting stronger and faster.  I love taper time but I learned the hard way that tapering isn't without it's hard work too.  Funny how people feel about taper.  I've got some friends that wig out, some that go into a funk, and some that think they can party like a rock star.  I've found out (the hard way of course) that taper is so important.  It's important to realize that taper is work too - just of a different sort.  The work is watching your diet, adherring to your taper training, prepping your mind, and getting rest.  Sounds easy but it's not.

Ken, great work on giving blood but you were supposed to take it easy afterwards. ;-)

Mike and Mitch, I'm glad you are back on the running path and I like your attitude.  Enjoy the journey.

Glad to have you back Anthony!

Jay, looks like you have stomped down that Type A at least temporarily.  Or have you?

Samantha, good call on skipping the ride when it would have been counterproductive.  You are doing great on the training.

Hey guys, sorry I haven't checked in lately, work has been keeping me so dang busy! Training has been going ok, but definitely needing to pick it up very soon! Still dealing with knee issues but it's a lot better than it was. I am, however, very limited in the climbing I can do without the pain coming right back so I am trying to minimize the hills and just stick to easy rides till my knee improves!I would much rather deal with an injury now than during an Ironman so I am trying to take it all in stride!

Very excited to have my training partner Mitch back in action! Now he just needs to man up and commit to a race so he can really start training again!! Lol! Hopefully we will be riding together again soon!

I'm going to NYC next weekend for a Chiropractic seminar so I am very excited, I have never been! Honestly though, I am stressed because I am not sure if I will be able to train at all while there! When I get back I will have 9 weeks before Wildflower so time to get serious!

I do try to keep up on everyone's posts as much as I can! This is a very active and fun group and you guys are putting in so serious training so I'm feeling a little unworthy right now (jk). I hope everyone is having a great healthy weekend and getting lots of training done!

Jim

Pam - sitting outside for a length of time in the cold is hard on the bod. Glad to hear from you!

Jim - yes, please protect that knee. The long-term effects will not be worth a short-term push. As for NYC, set a couple goals you think would be attainable while you are there (and one might include running in central park in honor of your BT friend Samantha), but seriosuly it might help. Just an idea. Have fun!

Mike - enjoy that trainer ride...hmmm...not sure how I feel about what I just said.

So today I will finish up my second week of my second base building phase: one swim and one bike. I'm very pleased with my mileage and knowing I only missed one session this week. Tomorrow will be another challenging trainer ride of 50miles. I'll be so very thankful when I can get outside again. We have a fresh bit of snow on the ground this morning.

7 days until Carol races!

well, thats done. an hour on the trainer is OK, and did nearly 17 miles. Most i've ever done is low 40's during a training 'ride' last spring -- 2.5 hours, but was able to watch all of "Godfather 2" while doing it .

Still snowing like crazy here. What is up wtih this? Wasn't last week enough, Mother Nature? How am I going to be able to go for a run later if its like this?

Any word from Steve? Maybe he's on vacation?

Great job.. It's chilly here for Florida, in the 40's. I'd like to go do a 30 mile ride, but am having little motivation. Planning for late afternoon.

It seems weird that he'd go on vacation and not mention anything about it in the thread.. no? I hope that is the case though.. 

Yes, definitely concerns me that we have not heard from Steve .  Hopefully a conference or vacation or some such, but like Kate said, typically he would mention that.

Pam, with all that sitting in the cold, I sure hope the concession stand was serving hot cocoa!

Jim, have fun in NYC!  I agree w/ Samantha, if you are anywhere near Central Park, just gotta go run there.

Samantha, what are you going to watch for those 50 miles?  I'm amazed and privileged to witness your progress!  Keep up the great work.  Thanks for pre-cheering for me re: the marathon .

Mike, good priorities...trainer first, then shovel snow!

Kate, go ride!!!  No, wait, bundle up, cover vents in shoes, gloves on, something to cover your ears, THEN go ride!!

Rest day here (4 miles of easy walking).  Been thinking through my race plan.  I think I'm going to go out at around 9:30/mi, and hopefully hang aroud there or maybe 9:20ish for my "good" miles.  That should allow for slippage to 10:00/mi in the last 6 if needed, and also the ones where I have to walk a bit to test or (crossing fingers not) hit a port-a-potty. Can make 4:15 with all of that, or a bit faster if things go exceptionally well.  Sounds good in theory anyway .   

Hey guys everything is fine I'm breathing and such.  As some of you know I'm a school psychologist and we had a couple of kids threaten to shoot up and bomb schools so I have had to turn around some rather extensive (28 page) psych evals to help figure out what to do with these guys.  We also had an arbitration type meeting, and just a lot of stuff.  I guess more time passed than I was keeping track of since I last wrote anything.  No worries I will continue to throw anchors on our type As and light fires on our type Bs.    

Shoulder is not to the point where I can do freestyle yet, was doing a little better gave it some more time off and ya the time off didnt help.  I do have full range of motion for normal life activities but brining the arm forward in the crawl not so much.  The leg not really any better at all going to a different Ortho in about 11 days, ya they don't have a lot of slots and its a 100 mile drive each way.  After 6 weeks I got up to a max of jogging 1:00 x 6 in a 5:00 walk 1:00 jog plan over 4 miles and then it was down to just walking, and then not walking at all to see if that helps.  Even pool jogging irritated it this am, so shorter pool jogs.  So kind of bummed about all that, march race not gona happen, april race not gona happen may race not gonna happen.  Yes input is all that we are responsible not for output.  It will work its way out in time.  I just need some pt/suggestions for how to rehab the knee.   

Samantha, your training is coming along nicely.  You will come think of that 44 mile trainer ride as a nice recovery ride before the end of this 8).  See there is your positive side.  Earmark this and come back to it tell me if its true.  For you it is just buiding and holding on for the ride.  You are going to get tired, your emotions will follow your fatigue, just stay with it, you will be fine.  Pleanty of time to build from where you are now to IM day.

Mike, ya your trainig is um not so solid.  You have a long run of 5, long bike of 25 and long swim of 2500.  So you just need to start from where you are and then build from there.  So run lookes like 3 4 3 6, 3 4 4 7, etc., building your long run 1 mile per week and building your weekly miles to keep up.  Same with the bike, you are at 25 long, go 30, 35 40 long or even 25 35 45 for long bike rides.  Don't go up more than 1 mile a week on the long run until you get to 10 then maybe skip to 1.5 miles a week gain if you need to.  Swim is fine you can just pick that up.  As far as your plan goes, I would just start where you are now and then plan workout schedule to meet up with it about 10 weeks out from the race and then follow it down to the race. If you have to go slower than you would like then just drop one of your 3 highest build cycles , but don't drop your taper weeks.  It takes me 2.5 weeks to taper for a HIM + distance race, 3 for IM.  Let me know if that didnt make sense. Your swim and bike should be fine, run is what is going to cost you in time to build.

Carol ya the 2:00 at 8:30 with repeats look fine... ya I will catch up on the rest of your posts.

Jay that really sucks.... take the time to heal.  Because if you don't take the time it will cost you 2-3 times that long.   Not sure how you are going to keep that type A in check that long but ya gots to do it.

Nice to see you back Steve!  I'm glad it was just a busy week at work and nothing else. The type A that you and Pam were asking about has already gotten me in trouble.  I decided to show my wife just how much better I'm moving by doing a slow jog up the stairs...not the best idea ever! 

I am fortunate that I'm allowed to work light duty right now.  I had the sick time and compensation time to stay out but to be perfectly blunt; I hate my job at 5 years in and I have at least another 15 until retirement...so I'll suck it up and work now so I can leave sooner!  Plus, there's still a remote chance of surgery...and if that happens, I'll need those hours I mentioned above until my LT Disability kicks in.

You probably won't hear much from me until Tuesday night.  That's when I meet with the ortho doctor and he tells me what he really thinks.  My improvement in movement had me hoping for a quicker recovery but my little set back today tells me that is unlikely....but I really want to run that half mary on St. Patty's Day!

I start strong on my wife's keto diet on Tuesday as well.  With all the snow Mike has filled you in on....our diets have been failing lately.  I think my wife needs me on her diet as much as I need to be on it to keep me focused on something that can help me race time....because this may sound foolish to your ears but I'm really bummed out right now.

Hope you all have a good night and good holiday tomorrow!

Jay, seriously do not jog up the stairs, the negative heal drop is the worst thing you can do for your achillies.

Ken your training is looking great, solid runs.  For now the swim and bike will mostly be adding fatigue to your runs.  They are not a huge focus until after your 2nd mary, so don't worry about them too much, getting some swin and bike in each week sets you up for a much easier build once you settle in to full IM training.  Everything is looking solid. 

Carol your runs are looking solid... you are closing in on a 4:00:00 mary.  If I were you, but still as stupid as me, I might just set out at a 9:00 mpm pace for your mary and see what happens. 

Kate, your training is looking great.  I am thinking you are going to be set for your race.  You just need to stretch that long bike another 10 miles ish and build your long run up to 13 or so and you are good to go.  I was a little worried when the group started, but you have been pretty spot on with your training.  Feel free to add in some tempo to your run once a week and some smallish hills.  What is your nutrition plan for race day?

If I missed anyone on something improtant post it again and I will try to respond or send me an email if you want to really get my attention.  Stay safe out there guys. 

Steve, so glad to have you back!!!!  I was getting worried and then thought I was being stupid.  Then everyone started wondering and I got real worried.  So sorry about the troubles at work and especially with the training.  Glad to have you back with us.

Is TK out there?  He and I PM'ed each other some and he has his race next week - same weekend as Carol's mary.  TK, got all the questions answered?

Carol - I started watching the new Biggest Loser season, so I will probably watch a couple episodes of that. Very inspiriing! I also think I'll rent the movie called 'Premium Rush'; it's about a NYC bike messenger. It sounds like it will be a good pump me up movie. I loved getting stoked with you for the race you are about to kill! Oh, and I heard from Ceril today!

Kate - Go get em' girl.

Steve - At least you know you are wanted! Glad all is well, sort-of. Your job sounds challenging, rewarding, frustrating, etc. Glad you were able to catch up with us. So sorry about all the races that won't be happening for you. Sure do appreciate your perspective on tough situations. I will earmark the 44 miler and let you know, but let me tell you it was a tough ride. But I'm in it for the long haul, right?!?

Jay - so glad you have some flexibility with work and such. NOt so glad to hear you hate your job. Sticking that out might make you better an endurance than any of us :P Please don't push to increased injury!

Mike - Happy re-planning! Hoping the snow takes some time off in your area of the country.

So I am super happy about the week's training. I really nailed it as far as I'm concerned. Only missing one bike is really good for me. I think the hardest part of my training is my shoulders/arms are really fighting weakness, but I've been really happy that I'm getting in all my swim and my times are consistently good for me. One more build week, then recovery and my Birthday :D