Baowolf's Fun In the Sun Mentor Group (OPEN) (Page 29)

Mini Steve made an appearance this morning. For those who aren't aware of mini Steve; picture a cartoon with the angel on 1 shoulder and the devil on the other shoulder....that's what mini Steve is for me. Today, mini Steve asked me when I've had a recovery week from my build that I've been doing for running....as usual, I had no answer for him. So, my planned 14 miler turned into another 6 miler so I could tell him that "yes, I now have a recovery week....even if it is once every 7 weeks instead of 4" If you hang around long enough, you to will have Steve's training philosophies and expectations creep into your mind when you aren't following his guidelines.

Today's run was an important one for me. It was the first really cold day outside (wind chill in the teens) and I had planned to run. Some of my issues last year were because I didn't want to run out in the cold....also fear of the ice causing me to slip and re injure my achilles...but weather was a factor. So, I made sure I got out there with my winter gear and did some miles.

Basketball practice number 2 for my kiddos tonight. Hopefully, I can keep them focused on us for one more practice....I want 2 solid days of fundamentals before we start scrimmaging other teams.

Priceless!!!

Jay, you make me so proud. I am going to have to adopt you and start sending out Birthday cards. If only wish my own kids learned life's lessons so quickly. For the older than 40 crew it is a recovery week every 3 weeks, for the young folks it is every 4th week.

For me I have a windproof shell, some lite gloves and a hat that can be extended over my ears or turned up as I get warmed up. That gets me down to around 0 F. In the -15 to -6 range I have a Baclava (spelling?) thingy you put over your head that has an opening for your eyes, nose and mouth. We don't get sub -15F here, but if we did I would just swap out a warmer jacket and add my Smartwool socks. If itis snowy I try to avoid hills and do more gravel than pavement for running.

Mini Steve -- love it!! You are making some awesome progress, Jay. Sign up for Patriot yet?

I've realized I need some sort of carrot to get me moving & motivated, so I'm signed up for a half mary in March. It will be a 'just finish' race, but gives me something to aim for, so I'm looking forward to it.

My winter running gear has enough things for pretty much any occasion down to about -20. Beyond that I'd probably just bike inside instead . I think its 'balaclava' for the hood/face cover thing. Baklava is a Greek food, I think.

Family brag bit -- my niece is a freshman and swims for Division 1 University of Massachusetts put up a 5:01 500 meter time yesterday at her first college meet. She placed 4th, and was second fastest swimmer on her team for the meet. Another day of it today, but a 5:01 is just incomprehensible to me. This is also the same niece who has had the overall fastest swim split at our local tri the past 3 years. She must have gills. I'm going to see her over Thanksgiving, and will get a couple swim lessons!

Love the mini Steve!!! Jay, you are funny! But it is surprising how Steve's voice can get in our heads.

Ok, you guys, I don't know what I think about people saying the "Pam route". I'm partly insulted. And then the other part of me feels like a bad - which a good thing.

I went on a Pam route yesterday. I'll pretend that I was slow because of the hills. It was a maudlin day. There has been a lot of tragedy affecting people near me and I was feeling it yesterday.

Today was a pre-Turkey Trot warmup day for us. A small 5.5K run. Someone introduced me to a woman as I walked up and said she was looking for someone to run with. So I took it to mean that she was nervous so I yak-ed to her the whole race. Not hard for me to ever do.

My area has been hit with tragedy recently. The shooting at FSU on Thursday morn and then a horrible incident yesterday. Don't know the details of the one yesterday but it sounds like it was totally deliberate and mean (not due to mental illness like the FSU one). I have 4 friends that work with the Sheriff's Dept and thankfully the fatality wasn't one of them but still, I hurt. And I'm afraid things can get real bad soon. All I can think is that if I'm hurting this bad, what does God feel right now?

Hi everyone! I did my 14 mile run now that I have a rest week per mini Steve The weather was supposed to be bad tomorrow so I did my run without lifting on my legs the day prior. I cut over 30 seconds per mile off my pace by having fresher legs. Other than that, I don't have much to report.

My basketball team is going to be a challenge this year. I have 7 kids (1 which is my son)....I picked 2 because they play soccer with Braden, 1 was a my first draft pick....all the kids I wanted were gone...so I looked over at a young coach...saw a name and said sure, 2 brothers who have NEVER played basketball before and a talented 8 year old. (league is 8-10) It turns out the brothers and my first pick are both from divorced families....one bitter the other seems to be okay. To make it worse, my first pick appears to have Ashburgers (sp). I struggle to get him to concentrate and to make it worse...he's very angry because his parents split up. I'm finding that he has no discipline because his other coaches either don't want to deal with his issues or feel bad because of his difficult background. Bad news for him is I have no intention of letting his behavior slip....it could get ugly but I really believe he needs to be held to the same standard as everyone else. As a friend said to me, he's been placed with me because I can make a difference...I just need to figure out how to be that difference.

Mike: I haven't signed up for the Patriot as of this moment. I'll be signed up by the weekend!

Steve: You make me blush lol. I just try to pay attention to what is said and do my best to apply it. I fail a lot but I try

Pam: Sorry about the bad news/incidents around you. All I can say is try to use it as a reason to focus on your loved ones more than usual. As for your friends....this may sound harsh but this is what we sign up for. We accept that every day we put on a uniform something horrible can happen. Police have it a little different than I do...my reality is I may not leave my prison when i want to.

On Friday, we had another person commit suicide...of course she worked with me as well. The numbers are getting out of control.

Hope everyone has a good Thanksgiving and tries to limit their food consumption a little bit

Jay, wow 30 sec per min off your 14 mile run... both of those things said in the same sentence WOW!!! My long run this week is 7 miles!

So non triathlon related. Aspergers Disorder is an executive function disorder that makes kids/adults have problems with organization, abstract reasoning and interpersonal relationships. Trick: write out all the plays for him with pictures, he will memorize them. Write out all the team rules on paper, he will love the structure. Do the same warm up routine every day, every day, before every game, have the same ritual even if it is hailing out and there is an earthquake, try to do things the same. If you can't do things the same way, warn him in advance (not too far in advance 1-2 days) and give him a work around, allow him to do the same thing in a slightly different way. Play him in the same position, don't move him around a lot. Make a point that your rules are for basketball, they are different than the rules in the rest of his life. You could even make a visual schedule of your workout routine 1) warmup 15 minutes, 2) practice individual shots, free throws, etc., 3) practice passing/offense, 4) practice defense/rebounds or whatever. Let the entire team know that you have heard that a lot of kids in the 8-10 year old age range in this country are having to face some pretty tough things with divorces, bullying, scary stuff in the world, but that here in this gym everyone is emotionally safe, you may jam a finger, but there is no bullying, there is no smack talk about people's families and we will be our own family. We can take a vacation from the world's or family or school problems for 2 hours every day, have fun and learn to constantly improve at basketball. We will not win every game, we could lose every game, but we will get in better physical shape, we will get better at making baskets, we will get better at passing and teamwork and we will have eachother's backs. Stuff like that. You can do a freethrow test shooting once a week and chart progress to help with confidence (layups, freethrows, etc. Your aspergers kid will like having 5 places to take shots from while playing. He can practice those 5 shots and always try to work to a place where he will be comfortable shooting from. He can practice this at home etc., and get really good at these shots. Then teach him how to get open at each spot so he will have the space to make a shot or how to decide to shift to a layup rather than get blocked, or pass. You could even video them making layups or shots and show them how missing is different than making a shot if form is good/bad. Anyway just some thoughts. You can even share that sometimes you don't follow through on your training plan and end up having to backtrack to get to where you want to go. Let them know you can run 14 miles... they will be impressed. Also let them know that there was a time when 1 mile was not something you could run due to your injury etc. Feel free to hit me up with questions about aspergers or whatever, I have a lot of training in the area. I have too much training in too many areas.

Wow, that info above is just another reason to love Steve. You are amazing!

Jay, so sorry about yet another suicide. Hugs to you and your coworkers. And yes, I'm trying to focus on my blessings (which are there and I'm so grateful for them.) I was just in a funk and then knew what was going to happen when the Ferguson verdict came out.

I have some potential fun/scary news. I have a dear friend, a walker, who has signed up for a 48-hour and is hoping do get 100 miles (She has done several 24-hour races and gotten to 62 miles several times and 67 once.) She really wants to achieve 100 miles so is going all out in the 48-hour. Her hubby volunteered (or was drafted) to crew for her but he hates to see his wife hurting and is putting out some negative things for her. I volunteered to crew if hubby doesn't want to (or crew in addition to hubby). I don’t mind being declined because I’m not the right person, don’t have experience, am not what she needs BUT I don’t want her to reject my offer because it might be an imposition. Scared that she will want me and excited too. She and I will talk going to Diva and work it all out. Anyone crewed before? It will be on a track and no pacers are allowed. Easier and harder.

Agreed, love it that Jay is taking the team under his wing, and the advice from Steve is priceless. We have some dear friends whose son has Aspergers. Jay, what you are doing for that kiddo is not only a gift to him, but a HUGE one to his family. It can be such a lonely journey that these families are on. "Mini" Steve is your guide in more things than workouts. This group has helped each other in ways that go way beyond triathlon, and it is a beautiful thing.

Pam, so sorry for all that you in Tally are witness to the last few days. And wow, crewing for your friend is a wonderful gift. Yes, scary to think about even staying awake for that long!

Working through my 1 month notice at work. I had agreed earlier to be manager on duty this weekend, so I get to be in charge of a 90 bed assisted living/memory care facility. Ha, my accountant education/experience hasn't really prepared me for this. 911 calls are a fairly normal occurrence (1-2/week), and I've always been calm in crisis, so maybe I'll do OK. The company is so generous (not). I get to work two full extra days over the weekend, and get one day off to compensate. If my salary was at least life sustaining, OK, but yeah, not so much. I've had some lovely experiences mixed in with the yuck, and feel that I might be making a difference in a few lives along the way. On track training for Cowtown Half. Will be walking it with hubby, and we are having a great time doing our weekend workouts together. I'm fighting the darkness to get in anything during the week.

Carol, is your assisted living an "Adult Home" as in having primarily ambulatory elderly folks who are no longer able to maintain their lifestyle at home, but can manage the typical routine of a group living situation where they share a room with someone, go to meals and have their laundry done for them? I worked in a number of nursing homes and the assisted living is soo much better than the locked alzheimers unit or the locked nursing home mental health wing..... But ya that is a lot. Hopefully you have some on call doctors to consult with should there be a fall or other medical emergency. Also hopefully you are close to a hospital. The experienced nurses tend to run the place, find a couple and bring them donuts.....

Dennis, good luck in your road/slush race! Sounds like you are in a pretty good groove training wise. And yes, the "Pam route" I think refers to a hilly, challenging route, so Pam, I'd definitely take it as a compliment.

Steve, the facility is 70 beds of assisted living and 20 of locked alzheimers. No skilled nursing involved, though some approach the borderline of needing it. There are a few "flight risk" individuals, and the folks in assisted living are at various care levels both mentally and physically. During the week, we only have one LVN and one gal that oversees memory care who is not a nurse. Both have been there less time than I have, and they will not be there on the weekend, but I will have them on speed dial. Front line care staff will be there (I hope), but they are paid $9-10/hour, and we have not surprisingly had 50% turnover in the last few months alone. I'm sure the LVN will come in to pass meds if the med techs call out or no show, but she is exhausted from doing that way too much. Yeah, only two more weeks for me there after this one. Not all bad, and some well meaning and very hard working folks at the local level, but the corporate dictated staffing levels, pay structure and cumbersome systems make it a no win situation IMO.

Good morning everyone! First off, thanks for the kind words about coaching. Most of you who have known me know I coach for the kids...not myself like so many. I've had my "moments" in sports...now its time to give back and make sure kids look back at their sports teams with a smile..not with a "the coach was a jerk and/or hated me" My best friend in the world had an awful experience in baseball through 14 years old...we're 40 now and he still talks about....that's why I try to keep perspective. It didn't matter to him that we had an awesome team that rarely lost.

I signed up for the Patriot HIM this morning. So, things just got real. Of course, I was sick last night so my first day after I sign up is being a slug at home

Steve: Thank you for the details on Ashberger's. I played college football with a guy with Autism (he was highly functional) so I knew some of the symptoms...like the amazing memory. What you made me realize is this poor kid needs structure and his parents divorce and different people taking him places is driving HIM nuts. I do structure a lot of my practices the same because kids at that age need routine and to learn the offense/defense by repeating what we do often. The problem is that from a basketball standpoint...I have to figure out what offense/defense works best for the kids I have. That usually takes a few weeks but it also helps me understand his frustration....I just need to make sure I don't let his situation allow him to get away with behaviors that I wouldn't allow other kids...that's my challenge. My other challenge is to make sure my assistant doesn't totally quit on this kid....because I think he wants to already. Also, my 30 second decrease in pace was on my long run pace...not my short run. I haven't done 8:30's at that distance in 4/5 years lol.

Pam: I have a running friend who has crewed her BF for 2 100 milers. One thing she said to me is that you will likely get snapped on at some point in the race....that may explain her husbands "negativity" Feel free to PM me any questions you may have and I'll forward them to my friend for answers

Carol: Wishing you and Kerry that best for Thanksgiving and a quiet weekend for you! Corporations ruin so many things. I remember when I worked in the accounting field my company introducing a "new" performance review. It took me about 5 minutes to realize that this performance review was nothing more than a way to control salary. Even the best performers couldn't achieve exceeds standards in everything because of their description of how to obtain that rating.

Dennis: My 10:1 plan that I outlined is something you should do from the beginning of your run. Even if you feel fine after 10 minutes, you should still walk that 1 minute before starting your jog again. The theory is it will keep your legs fresh for the entire distance. I'm sure you've felt like your legs feel heavy on some long runs...that designed rest is supposed to keep that feeling away longer...or lessen it. Another option I've seen is people who jog until the get to hills....then they walk up the hill. I believe that these people have bad knees so walking the hills helps lessen that pain. All of my ideas are to try and help you have a better running experience.

Hello All!

Mike : any chance you can have private swim lessons with your niece?

Jay : wow that is amazing, I truly admire your dedication and commitment towards those kids. I'm sure it's not easy, though. Don't put too much pressure on yourself, because at the end of the day the kids have to make their effort, but I really think that coaches are special people who can teach much more than sports. In all the sports they've done, I ALWAYS tell my kids to go thank their coaches at the end of practices, and always respect the coach.

Steve : wow, great pointers. "I have too much training in too many areas" made me laugh out loud!

Pam : good luck on your crewing job, keep us posted!

Carol : it's great that you can see the positives in your situation right now. Not always easy to do.

Dennis : I love that feeling of "Everything felt right". You seem to be in a great place, you are really inspiring me to get back on track.

I am running again (well, I do mix running and walking to see if the ankle can take it, so far it's good). I also got back on the saddle last night for a quick spin and man, is it humbling. I had to lower the resistance and pedal to an easier gear. I first thought something was wrong with my setup, but had to realize I have work to do to regain bike fitness. It's been almost 2 months with no biking, and the leg muscles were protesting badly!!!

I also find myself missing the pool. I actually miss swimming, can't wait to start again in January... Thinking about signing up for an early summer oly to keep motivation levels up.

Carol how is that level of staffing even legal? We had 2 nurses per wing in the nursing homes, 24/7. I know you are adult home level, but wow. Place in hell for the owner and the politicians who allow it.

Isabella, I totally hear you with the lost fitness thing. My 4 1/2 mile run today was slow and my swim is all the way back up to um 1400 yards in 100 yard sets. IMTX gona be her fast. I don't expect a good time on either IM this year, I just hope to finish them healthy. I got all the paperwork in for one of my certifications yesterday I am into my last school admin class for that credential. Then I can start on the continuing education hours for the third one for this year.

Edited by Baowolf 2014-11-26 10:40 PM

Isabella, glad you are back to running some!

Steve, you will no doubt build yourself up to IM form. Glad that you are making progress on other goals as well. As for staffing, I agree....state auditor came in last week and I provided timesheets so hoping they catch a staffing shortfall during that audit period, but the state requirements are pretty minimal. My training for being the only manager in the building this weekend is a check off sheet to make sure everything looks presentable. No protocols on anything. So when in doubt, I will call the other managers, call contractors to fix whatever is broken or call 911 if I even suspect it is needed for a resident. Only 2 more weeks left until I'm done, or based on my current no bull*&!^ approach and demeanor, they might want me gone sooner.

Priceless!!! So sorry that everything has been so awful but I think you are going to be a instrument to change for that company.

Dennis, a lot of people have great success with a prescribed run/walk plan that Jay described whether it's a 10/1, 3/1, or even an oddity like 2:35/25 sec (Yes, I met a man that used that for every race.) There is a thread on the ultra forum where someone uses it for 12-hour or 24-hours races and places consistently high. Practice it in training runs tho. While I'm too much of a rebel to follow the prescribed ratio, I really worked on walking a lot when I was training for my 8-hour race because I always have trouble getting back to running after walking. So I would walk for 1 minute every little while and then start back running again.

Isabella, so glad that you are back to training again. Take it easy and build slowly and you'll be back in the swing of things soon.

Steve, I know that It hurts to "start over" but you'll be ready for IMTX.

Jay, I may PM you if M takes me up on the offer of crewing. I think tho that she would be incapable of unloading on me (or anyone else) which, oddly, is one of the reasons that I want to crew for her. I think, when things got bad, she would internalize it and then be incapable of continuing mentally. I think that her hubby would be too nice and encourage her to quit (he does no physically activity and doesn't understand her desire to suffer for a goal). And while I think that I would have trouble butt-kicking her, I think I would if I felt like she needed it. She may not need it - because she is a tough lady. She has a heart of gold tho and I think I would need to the devil on her shoulder telling her to eat, or stop eating, or shut up or keep moving. If she agrees for me to crew, I'll definitely have lots of questions tho.

You guys are adorable about the Pam Route. I'll take it as a compliment. Well until you have shirts made up similar to the ones that say "Too bad Phillipedies didn't die at Mile 17."

Questions for all. Compression socks/sleeves......when do you use? What temps? What race distances? For running, I almost always wear a mild compression low-cut sock (like Feetures or Adidas) for runs. But my hardcore compression calf sleeves I've only wear for recovery. I tried running in them a few times but it's always so hot here. But almost every race of HM or above, I see LOTS of people wearing them. Saw an article re the benefits so I thought since it was cooler here, I would try. Wore today and almost took them off at Mile 1.5 but stuck it out. What do ya'll do?

Very weird situation today. Found a little boy in his p.j.s outside, in his driveway, near the road. He wasn't getting on the road but just watching. I talked to him and waited for his parents to come running outside looking for him but nothing. Finally I take him up to the house. He takes me thru the screen porch and to the side door. I call out and his dad was startled to find me, his son, and the door open. Apparently Everett unlocked the door and went outside and Dad had no idea.

Edited by Pink Socks 2014-11-30 12:37 PM

From my understanding compression socks/leggings etc. are for recovery only, changing blood flow, decreasing inflammation etc. But, some people just like the feel of them. I find that running in them constricts my range of motion. They kind of take the place of an ice bath, which I would not do during a race. I typically wear my compression leggings for runs over 12 miles.

November's totals are in the bank. Not much, but it is a start.


Swim: 3h 13m - 6600 Yd

Bike: 6h 24m 52s - 120 Mi

Run: 9h 35m 53s - 59.75 Mi

And some pictures if they come through.









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November Totals:

Swim: 3150 Yd
Bike: 35m - 8.75 Mi
Run: 7h 12m 35s - 57.94 M


These numbers should've been better! I got derailed near the end of the month with Thanksgiving and getting sick! Having said that, things are still moving in the right direction so I'll try to take the momentum into December.


Steve: Nice pics

Pam: I wear compression socks for long bike rides and most running events. I have had a history of calf cramps that goes back to my HS/College football days.....I've tried compression socks and I've yet to cramp with them. It certainly could be psychological and that I've improved my in race hydration and that has limited my calf cramping BUT I don't cramp when I wear them so I do I did wear them constantly when I was recovering from my AT surgery because part of the issue with the recovery is that blood doesn't flow down to our toes easily.

Steve, great pix!!!!! It's nice to see what you look like instead of the tiny avatar. Glad you recorded the destruction of the stump.

Totals:
Run: 17h 04m - 92.9 Mi
Core Training: 2h 00m
Stair Running: 1h 08m
Stretching: 40m
Walking: 1h 40m
Yoga: 5h 15m

Wish the run total was higher but started out month with a taper and then recovery was slower than I desired. This weekend I have my girl's weekend with Diva HM at St. Augustine. Definitely feel ready for it but will just being running it easy and enjoying the vibe. But, gulp, I've got a 50K the next weekend and I am not properly prepped. But this is the last time at that locale and last time with the current RDs so I wanted to be there. So even tho it will get nasty toward the end of it, I'm choosing to go and do it easy and choose to not suffer when the pain is bad. It's an awesome course with nary a hill in site. It's a T shape 10K course with the 50K and the 50 milers all doing it together. Also others can pay $5 and go run whatever miles they want. It's a fun event with a constant stream of people. The only time limit is to start the last loop within 8 hours but hopefully I can run the first 2 to 3 loops and then run/walk thru the 4th loop and then finish with a walk if need be.

Infinit 50% off sale is today hurry!

Pam: I actually had a prescription from my doc to get compression socks and I use them mainly for recovery, on long car drives or when I have long meetings scheduled at work with no breaks to get up and walk. It helps. I sometimes run with them but never in the Summer when it's hot or even just a bit warm, cannot stand them for biking either.

November totals are a bit depressing, but here they are in full disclosure.
December will look better I promised myself

Bike 25 min / 5 miles (ouch!)
Run 2h13min / 10 miles
Walk 1h44min / 4.5 miles
Strenght+core 1h30min

We had our Tri club gala last weekend and it was great to see the group again. They announced that we could have access to a pool and have tri club swimming sessions this winter. I had made great progress by training with them in only 2-3 months last year, so I'll be pretty excited if I get to work with the coaches starting in February! Shameless brag : I won "Best progress" and "The coach award" so I was pretty stoked!

I am continuing my run/walk program and all seem well, but the temperature is slowly but steadily dropping, almost to the 0F level now...ugh

We have a ROCK STAR in the house!!!!!! Two different awards? Isabella, it's not bragging, it is simply stating facts. Congratulations! From my interpretation of the meaning of those two awards, one says that you physically improved dramatically and the other says that your attitude is superior to everyone. That is awesome.

Thanks for everyone's take on compression socks. I'm going to continue to use them as recovery but definitely thinking about testing them for longer runs when it's cooler. Jay, love your take on whether it's a true benefit or if you have just gotten better at nutrition.