Hashers and Mashers - Open (Page 28)

Thanks Mike and I hope I will be able to contribute to the group!

Good day everyone,

I am starting triathlon training from scratch (again) as I have lost pretty much all of my triathlon fitness over the past couple of years, except for swimming. My long term goal being IM Chattanooga (or Florida) in 2016, I have a lot of work ahead of me so that I can get my fitness levels to where they were in 2009-2010. My immediate goal is to slowly build base and to keep crossfit in my schedule 3 days a week. On my journey to IM Choo-Choo, I will make a point of not over train on the run and by that I mean steering clear from running events other than the ones that are part of the tri races I will participate in. So no extra half-marathons, 10k, or 5k run races in my schedule.

Running has always been a struggle for me and it will be the hardest sport to work on. So with that in mind, I just started a couch to 5k run program. Today was the second day and I went for a 30m walk; I even threw 2 x 1 min run intervals in there just to get a feel. I am using new Merrell barefoot running shoes so I have to be careful. It is a bit of a challenge to take things slow because I'm the type of person who likes to progress quickly. I had to adjust my mindset and I'm ok with it now.

Baby steps... Baby steps... baby steps...

Edited by NatBosse 2013-08-27 11:58 AM

Having done it before, at least you know what to expect. Your experience will be very valuable to the group as well. It's nice to hear what has worked and what hasn't from as many people as possible. I'm thinking Ironman Chattanooga at some point too. I'm not sure what year.

Welcome to the group Natalie. You'll find it's a pretty friendly supportive group.

All - I finally posted a race report in the Race Report section titled "Challenge Penticton" It was kind of hard to write the report because I did it as a relay and they don't have a template for that kind of report. This weekend we also found out there is a Challenge St. Thomas (a half distance in New Brunswick) and Felix the head of Challenge said there will be an announcement of a first Challenge event in the USA early in September. He wouldn't say where but I think Texas - just a guess.

Tomorrow I'll get caught up in the latest posts. In writing my report and realizing how the wind worked against me in miraculous ways I decided that Sister Madonna was faster than me because she had help.

Danny - Congrats on your first event. Next time you'll know what to expect and it will go more comfortably.

Your swim sounds cold at 62deg. This weekend our lake temp was 22.6C/72.7F so quite a bit warmer. And, losing your goggles is unfortunate.

For the run don't underestimate how hard it is to run off the bike. I think it is really important to practice even a short run after every bike ride. I also find it a good idea to ride or run after a swim as well just to get used to it. I'd be very happy with a run 5K at your pace. Your slow is my fast.

All of your lessons learned are good but for #4 I would suggest as small a towel as possible and practice just wiping down very quickly otherwise it can waste a lot of time.

Don't rush to your IM and make sure you have a good workout plan.

How much Triathlon season do you have left in your area? Will you get in another event in this season?

George

Congratulaions on your first full iron relay!!! as usual i read your report more than once for my own benefit. Your bike leg report is awsome! i dont mean to be expecting just saying was hoping your ride was logged in garmin i really want to know whats your speed and cadence uphill particularly the longest and steepest. Your report again is great for the big picture i took mental notes. I am signed up for Iron Distance relay this Dec at Cali just need to know the small details:
Where do you best wait for your swimmer? entrance of transition?
Wheres the best place for my runner to wait for me?
Am i not suppose to leave transition until i get the timing chip?
Where do you recmmend you strap your chip on your bike or on you?

I m sorry with the questions believe me your report is already great help!

let me know Cheers

Carl

Waffles - Congrats on your race, your 3rd in AG and a good race report. I tend to include too much detail in mine - yours was just right. I drank Perpetuem in my ride on Sunday but I couldn't bring myself to drink the concentrated stuff so I had to stop and mix it with water. You're lucky it worked for you.

What was your total time for the half?

I'm not well versed in sports injuries but your cramping could be related to your gait and how you move your foot as you run or due to faulty foot mechanics. If you know someone knowledgeable in running posture and foot mechanics get them to watch you run and see if they can spot something you're doing.

It could also be related to your nutrition/hydration so maybe pay close attention to how much you eat or drink. Make sure you're getting enough sodium and calcium as well. Unless you have a perfect diet you likely get more sodium than you need in your daily diet but it still could be worthwhile keeping track of what and how much you consume.

You sound more than ready for your Oly.

I'm afraid so. I'm claiming "Divine Intervention". I couldn't get a minute of tailwind. My knee was broke. My butt was sore (still is a bit). My bike wasn't as good as hers. I stopped too often.

Seriously, she is very slim and looks very comfortable and strong on the bike. She must be awesome on her downhills.

I did find I wasted 22.5 minutes with stops at AID Stations. I've got to figure out a better nutrition/hydration system that doesn't require my stopping so often. In terms of comfort and fatigue I got it pretty close to right but I need something more time convenient.

FWIW - the Chamois Butt'r did help. It took longer for me to have issues and the issues I had were much less than I had two weeks ago. As soon as I can I want to find some Asus Butt'r and give it a try.

I don't know how I submitted my post to Carl three times but just read the third one.

Edited by wenceslasz 2013-08-28 11:29 PM

Ditto - just read the next one. Sorry!

Edited by wenceslasz 2013-08-28 11:31 PM

Hi Carl,
I'm glad you got something out of my race report. I think I always include too much detail.
Unfortunately, my computer totally malfunctioned on Sunday and I need to take it in to my LBS to replace it. I only bought it in July and it doesn't function at all. When I'm climbing a big hill I'm always in my Granny Gear and pedaling as fast as I can which is usually pretty slow. Just keep pedaling as fast as you can.
It may not be the same as your Cali event but here they had a "Relay Corral" and when your swimmer comes out of the water he/she runs to you and gives you the timing chip over a fence then you put it on your ankle and then you're off to your bike. In a bike race you'd likely put the chip on your bike front fork but in a relay the chip has to be passed from one athlete to the next so it is easier off the ankle.

My swimmer cut the Velcro to better fit his ankle (and he is a tall very slim fellow) but when I put it around my ankle I only had one inch of overlap to secure the strap to my ankle. I was quite worried it might come off but it was fine in the end.

You can leave the transition area while you are waiting for your swimmer but an Official will be there to make sure the chip is passed over the corral fence between you and your swimmer. The swimmer doesn't remove his/her wetsuit until after the chip is passed to you and then when you return you get off your bike and then run to the corral to pass over the chip then you can relax.

Your runner will be waiting in the corral just as you waited for your swimmer.

Edited by wenceslasz 2013-08-28 11:27 PM

Hi, I am hoping to join this mentor group if you'll have me.

NAME: Jessie

STORY: I've decided to come back to triathlon after a 2.5 year hiatus. I've been a spectator since before I can remember and finally in 2010 I clipped in and signed up for my first tri. I come from an Iron-family (as I like to call it), both my dad and sister have completed multiple Ironman Canada races (including the IMCWh this year) and I was always on the side lines - though I'm a darn good cheer leader! So I figured, pfft, triathlon is in my blood, I can do this no problem...so I signed myself up for the Banff Oly (2010 was their inaugural year). My dad was so stoked that even though he had just finished a phenomenal yet draining IMC he signed up for Banff too! That put a bit of pressure on me but hey, I can beat this old guy, heck, if Sister Madonna can do 140.6 - I can do an Oly. My training was non-existent. And the race? Was horrendous. I'm not sure what was worse, being me coming in last or watching me coming in last...it was obvious to EVERYONE that I had done no prep - worst of all, it was obvious to my dad and that was the worst part of it all. I threw in the towel after that, said obviously tri's aren't for me. It took me about 1.5yrs before I could admit that my self-righteous attitude was my un-doing and that if I wanted this then I better darn well put in the work (and not just surf the net for the latest and greatest gadgets). I love triathlons. I really really do. And my life goal, my #1 on my bucket list was to cross the finish line at IMC in Penticton - well we all know THAT isn't going to happen now (and believe me, I was at the press conference where they announced that IMC would not return to Penticton, and I was completely crushed as it was my #1 dream for 25 years to get that done). I'm back to triathlon now because while I won't be able to earn an IM finish in Penticton it doesn't mean I can never cross an IMC finish line. I'm not waiting any longer to achieve this goal or one day I'll be at the point where I am actually unable to and looking back saying "Gee, I sure wish....".

FAMILY STATUS: I'm a 31 (almost 32) year young mom to a hilarious 5 year old girl who makes me laugh till I cry at least once a day! She is the center of my universe!! Sharing that center is my boyfriend of 11 years - he works away from home approx. 325 days a year so while he's supportive of my triathlon endeavours, it's often from afar. Additionally, I am a student in my last year of studies so, at times, this can put a dent in my training plans (mostly because I have horrible time management skills).

CURRENT TRAINING: Right now I'm re-creating a base. I am attempting to build a training plan that will be achievable without constantly worrying about child care issues or if I have enough time to get that paper done. My weakness is my bike - it's not just that I am slow, it's that I'm too scared to be fast. I am terrified of getting into an accident with my bike on a downhill - petrified of that! In fact, I'm still unable to retrieve items from a bento box let alone my back pocket because I am scared to take my hands off the handle bars. ACTUALLY, I rarely get into the aero position anyway because I'm worried my bike and I are going to wobble into the ditch. I need serious hours on my bike on an actual road! I think my poor biking skills was a huge factor in Banff, I refused to pass people because I was too scared to crash into someone so while I was going faster than some I would slow down so I didn't have to pass anyone - and I braked hard on every downhill - that was until I saw a bear, then I figured I'd rather die falling off my bike than being eaten by a bear. I would say my strength is my run but for some reason my dad and our old swim coach says my strength is my swim (I can swim, and make it look good, if I'm going very verrrrryyyy sllllowwwww). In Banff, I was convinced no less than 5 times that I was absolutely going to die during the swim, panic doesn't even come close to describing what I was going through in those glacial waters.

GOALS: So, my goals. Well, in 2014 I plan to do a try-a-tri in May, Great White North HIM in July, and I am going back to Banff to show Two Jack Lake who's boss in Sept. I swore I would never ever do Banff again, and I know my dad won't, but I'm going to re-do Banff because there's no way I can leave that race the way it is, I can do better! My ultimate goal would be IMC 2015 (maybe 2016 depending on how training is going).



Edited by tryin2tri 2013-08-29 2:58 AM

Hey y'all!! Glad to see everyone is still active. I forgot I was supposed to be training for an IM!! I turned 40 last week, so I spent the month preparing and then a couple days celebrating, but it's out of my system now!! Back to the grind. When I get a chance I'll scroll through the posts from the last month. Sorry I'm such a flake lately...too much going on (just like everyone else)!
Cheers!

I've been pretty out of commission the last couple weeks too (coincidentally since my race).  I had a great run yesterday through the hilly streets of Beverly Hills.  Only my third run through my race but I'm noticing myself getting back into the swing of things.  I find that when I haven't run in a while as soon as I start my heart rate just starts steadily climbing and there's nothing I can do to stabilize it.  I mean it's not a sudden peak as if I just started sprinting or anything, but the aerobic ability isn't there.  And yesterday during the run I had a great steady pace going, on a hilly run, and my heart rate would go up steadily on the climbs and come down steadily on the descents/flats.

Oh and during masters yesterday my coach gave me a tip that sounded disturbing but had me doing a very clean smooth stroke.  He told me to envision a pole entering through my head and out my butt.  So that my body would rotate on that axis, and not bend and bob so much.  I felt like I moved slow but felt really efficient, and the times ended up not being noticeably slower than my normal times.  He stopped me during a set to say I looked a lot cleaner, so keep that visual.

Edited by Fresno_Joe 2013-08-29 2:31 PM

we miss you

Welcome to all the new hashers and mashers!

I'm officially done training for the race. Resting up for my first Tri (sprint) on Sunday. Just practicing transitions and meditating!

Hi guys, long week crazy hours at work and a teething baby does not leave much time. First off thanks for the suggestions everyone, I will be implementing for sure.

@psitri - The distances were 450m/16m/5k - so nothing to far

@strkergt - That would be awesome, I just want to finish an IM. Maybe try to race one after I have one under my belt

@waffles - THAT IS AWESOME GOOD JOB!

@miche033 - I didn't think about how cold the water would be so I left the wetsuit at home. Yeah that was dumb.....Regarding the bike portion I think it was just lack of training. I'm still fairly new on to the aerobar. I probably only have about 100-150miles on them at best with my longest ride being 40 miles and that was over three months ago.

@wenceslasz - The towel is more for my feet so I can dry them off and make sure I don't have little pebbles or dirt on them. I sweat like a pig so drying off really isn't going to make much difference. Sadly there really isn't much season left here in Wisconsin. Most of the races are winding down and with work being what it is right now I don't really have the time anyway. Work should be slowing down in a couple months though.

Thanks for the kind words guys and all the suggestions. Also welcome to all the new guys and gals. Kick some butt with your races and training!

Wow, I just looked at your log and that is some solid training you got for Sunday. Best of luck, you will do well! )

Hi Jesse and welcome to the group.

Surprising number of Canucks here eh.

You can still do the "real" IMC route here in Penticton. And, you could even see Sister Madonna. I know she is already signed up for next year and she was invited to race in the Challenge Roth race in 2014 as well. She is pretty good on the bike and even better riding the downhills. For myself the only concern I have is whether or not I will sign up for another relay, the HIM option or do the whole distance.

Your fathers IMC2010 was a really bad year and toughing it out was pretty impressive. They had high wind, snow, rain and hail that day.

As for cycling. I too am a Kamikaze Coward on the downhills and I was really afraid of the hills on the Penticton route but I rode them on Sunday without fear and I was even wishing for a strong tailwind on the downhills. What I've discovered is that the hills that I thought were so daunting were actually not too bad at all. If you face your fears you'll soon find you can do it. For myself I want to go back to Osoyoos and ride up Richter for fun and to see just how fast I can do it. Plus I want to ride down the other side partly for fun but also because it is one of the most beautiful valleys I've ever seen. I also want to see how fast I can go on the downhill leg.

For now you need a safe place to ride to get more comfortable on the bike and then you'll need to find someone to ride with (the more the better). In getting ready for your bigger goals you should also include a Sprint and Oly before your HIM (GWN looks like a good one). Wasn't Banff a pretty cold swim?

Good Luck.

Just a technical question:-

How do I Edit my name etc at the bottom of each of my posts? Usually this is where people include their inspirational things.

Thanks for the welcome!

To change your signature click on "Settings" under your username in the top right of the screen, then click "Forum Settings" then "Posting", in the box that pops up you can change your sig.

As for the swim in Banff in 2010 - I believe the water temp was 11C (about 51.8F?), cold enough to shorten the course but not cold enough to shut it down. I think a lot of prep is needed to be able to swim properly in that water temp, you go numb quite quickly actually so being in the water was ok BUT the water splashing over your face takes your breathe away - it just leaves you gasping for air. I saw a whole lot of people swimming with their face out of the water. I'm hoping to work my way towards ice baths soon and prep myself that way. Also, my feet were frozen, I could not feel them from about 1 min in the water until the 5km mark in the run, on a positive note, my hands were perfectly warm (weird I know).

Edited by tryin2tri 2013-08-29 11:30 PM

Walking out the door after lunch today and it was really hazy and smelled like a leaf fire.  Looks like the smoke from the yosemite fire is finally starting to reach us.  Not good.  Definitely not healthy to work out outdoors with fire particulate in the air.  Hopefully wind changes direction soon.

Good luck!  Looking forward to hearing how it went.

 

Anyone else racing this weekend?

Good luck!  Looking forward to hearing how it went.

 

Anyone else racing this weekend?