kenj's group - closed with a great bunch of triathletes in training!!! (Page 29)

lbishop - 2010-12-22 10:51 PM Wow guys! Sounds like some of you have been real busy.

IceMan - way to go on the HIM and a great time - well done. Shame about the injury now, but you'll work through it.

TriRsquared - thoughts with you man, that's rough. Just glad there's no real damage there...

I managed to get my HIM done in 6:39 - just 9 minutes over my intended 6:30 so am happy with that (was quite windy on the bike leg). Not going to do a full report, but really enjoyed it and will sign up for it again next year. And i'm not sure if i want to do a full distance event yet although i do feel like a 1/2 is kinda not quite there! Maybe in a few years when i've got more time to train...

Hope you all have a great xmas and new year and forward into the training in 2011!

Lewis.

Good to hear from you Lewis!! Congrats on the HIM!!  Windy bikes on a HIM distance can certainly drain the legs and the mind!

Merry Christmas to you too!

Merry Christmas to all of you in the group as well!  2010 has been a fun year for me tri wise and you all have been a part of that. 

Like Scott said, sorry to hear about your new challenge Lewis.  But keeping fit gives you an outlet and it sounds like you have a great plan for 2011 and the home support! Good luck with all of your goals.

Scott, I saw your volume lately, your 2011 is off to a great start.  I know you use a coach, so I don't have to tell you to be careful building back up as you return from your injury.  But be careful, you have a big race on 9/11! 

I didn't join or start a mentor group this year, at least yet.  I was prepared to start one, but the ones that were started were real slow to fill up and I beleive there are still several open.  They usually do another round of them in the spring so maybe I will do it then.

Good to hear from you guys, stay in touch!!

Hi guys,

Thanks for the thoughts, the wife has been approved for government funding for the 1st years course of modifying drugs so we're starting that this week. Life's curve balls eh?

Have re-entered the Half in december and waiting for the 2012 taupo IM entries to open next week. Will be entering as long as i get in in time.

A question re bike setup. My trek 1200 is setup as a road bike again (i.e. no aero bars etc). Considering that the IM in March will be my focus, and that i may or may not enter a 160km bike race in November, i'm wondering wether i should leave it in road-bike-mode for the moment or set it up in tri-mode?

Tri mode consists of setting up the aero bars, fast forward post and adamo seat. They only change to it at the moment is that i have lowered the bars to their lowest position so that the aero bar pads are low when attached - i need to tweak and play with the setup of course but i can ride it with the bars low without any back issues so will leave them low.

+1 for the yoga and stretching. I also recommend foam-rollers/myofascial workouts... i haven't done them in the last year and really feel that my recovery was not as successful as previously. They certainly will be added to my plan again...

Cheers, Lewis.

Hang in there Lewis.  Funny those words.  People told me that when I was in excruciating pain from cancer and I thought to myself, ", where else can I go?  What else can I do?"  But I said, "Thank you, will do."    

The bike questions:  Isn't there time to do both?  Set up to train for the upcoming tri and shift back to a road bike for the road races?  I don't see a down side.  Love the Adamo.  I use it on all my bikes and have since the cancer in 2006.  I was one of the first disciples.

I am religious about the yoga and foam rollers these days.  Can't tell you what a difference they make in how my legs feel.  They are strong - my threshold power is back to within 2% of peak last year and it's only March.  Yet, my legs feel relaxed and supple when I'm not working out. I'm using the Triggerpoint Grid and bought the new Rumble Roller.  Look it up.  It looks like a Dark Ages torture device and it really gets down into the muscle like a good massage therapist.  But seems to work well. 

The run is going well.  I'm at 14 miles a week in three sessions, two speed workouts and one long run at an easier tempo pace.  Bought different shoes...I use Brooks Addictions but bought a pair of Brooks Adrenalines.  Used them for the first time last night.  They seem fine - less support, - so they are gong to be for short runs for now and the Addictions for longer.  If I develop any problems, I'll stay with Addictions. 

The swim - the masters coach is great and keeps tweaking stuff.  This time it was pulling my legs together to eliminate body twist and drag.   Really helped.  Times are down.  Effort is down.

The bike - my Vision Quest coach is really good.  Working on strength exercises over winter really helped.  Low cadence, high power.  Shifted to lactate threshold drills last week.  They are long endurance efforts near threshold power, then a short recovery and more LTs.   Just for fun, they toss in some VO2 max in the middle of it, 30-90 secs.  I feel really strong when I'm done. 

Overdoing is always my issue.  I'm sticking right to the plan I'm given.  I add one short run because I need to get that speed up so my endurance cruising speed will be respectable.  If anything goes, it will be that 3rd short run.  But the reason I got hurt last fall was I peaked, did the HIM in 6 hours and 9 mins and then just kept right on training.  They told me to take it easy without firm direction and let me drift so I cut from like 17-18 hours a week to 10 and thought that was "easy."  Not.   After I was hurt they said I was supposed to do nearly nothing.  Now they tell me. I just kept at it because I love this stuff now.  I didn't know.  Now I do.  So I am relying on the massage therapy, the rollers, the yoga, the rest day (strictly obeyed) and working on workout nutrition before during and after to insure recovery. Using Hammer Recoverite and Whey Protein on major workout days.  

Good to hear from you guys.  Ken, let me know if you start a group.  I am paying attention to three. IM Wisconsin and two mentor groups.  I joined one before seeing the guy had closed it, then joined another and then the first guy said to stay because he lives only 40 miles away.  The second mentor is in IM Wisconsin.  So what the heck.  I stayed in both. 

Is KenJ in the title?

I just signed up with another group yesterday as i wasn't sure where this group was going. I assume there are no issues with joining 2 groups? If not, then i'd love to join up and see how everyone is going...

Cheers, Lewis.