Gray Guys/Girls Master's Focus Triathlon Mentor Group--CLOSED (Page 29)
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Regular ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Completely down since Sunday night with a 104 degree fever and a nasty bout of flu. Nasty. My training times will suck this week, but I guess I'll lose weight! Steve |
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Expert ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() My answer is similar to Deb's. I see the medical issues my family is having as they get older - my mom has had surgery on her back and one of her knees (needs it on the other one), 2 of my sisters have back issues, weight is becoming an issue for some - I don't want to go down that road so I wanted to find something to keep me active and healthy. I tried several other sports (softball, indoor soccer) but just wasn't any good at them and always felt like I was letting the team down. Running and triathlon are individual sports so being slow isn't such a big deal - as long as I can finish, I'm OK with it. And I feel like it's something I can keep doing even as I continue to get older. Vanity is part of it for me too - I feel a lot younger than I am and people seem to be surprised when they find out my age. I was volunteering at a race last year and when the 2 ladies working there with me found out my age, they looked at each other, then at me and said "You don't look anywhere near 50." I have to admit, it was nice to hear. The other thing is that training - or maybe I should say working out in general - just seems to be a part of my life now. If I take more than a couple days off, I feel sluggish, lazy, irritable. The workouts have become part of what makes me happy. And race days are kind of like holidays - something to look forward to, something I really enjoy doing. I feel like I've accomplished something when I cross that finish line - it's a good feeling. Janet |
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Official BT Coach ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I enjoyed reading the responses on what motivates you. Understanding your personal motivation to participate in triathlon, at whatever level you choose to participate, is the first small step towards developing mental fitness that will translate into mental toughness on race day. Scott - I am glad to hear that email is still on your mirror. I would be reading that every morning and drawing motivation from it! Randy - I have a question/observation to stir the pot and maybe open a bit of a debate - comments from everyone are welcome and encouraged! You mentioned having goals. I absolutely agree that we should have goals. However, in recent years, I have gotten away from performance goals. Sure, I have the goal to qualify for Kona, but that is more me saying I would LIKE to qualify for Kona. The reality is, when I compete at a Kona qualifying event, my goal will NOT be to qualify. If I make that my goal for the race, I would be setting myself up for disappointment and a sense of failure. Let me explain, I could go out and lay down a time of 8:35 for that IM. That would be incredible! But if someone else turns in an 8:34 I am not qualifying as there is only one spot in my age group. Many of the IM races now are wave starts so I may not be able to see that someone is ahead of me or even with me. I have absolutely no control over what other competitors may do on race day. I have found that process goals tend to work better for me. During the race, instead of focusing on time, I focus on the things that I can control. All of the executable's that go into a successful race - in race nutrition, hydration, pacing, form, etc. Taking the example a step further, the L.A. Marathon is this coming Sunday. It is supposed to be +80 degrees by the time the elites finish, probably tickling 90 by the time most the AG athletes start finishing. Probably not going to be many PR's with that kind of heat. Those athletes that have performance based goals may be in for a disappointment. I wonder what your thoughts are? Deb and Janet - You probably have the best motivation of all. At the end of the day, a triathlon is just a race. Nothing more, nothing less. The world isn't going to stop turning if we don't do it and it isn't going to turn faster if we do it well. You two participate in triathlon for the health benefits first and foremost. Yeah, those benefits trickle down to all of us, but somehow, at least for me, that never seems to translate into additional motivation. |
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Official BT Coach ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Originally posted by lutzman Completely down since Sunday night with a 104 degree fever and a nasty bout of flu. Nasty. My training times will suck this week, but I guess I'll lose weight! Steve Steve, Sorry to hear your sick. Hope you're feeling better soon. It occurs to me there are other ways to lose weight! |
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Official BT Coach ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Well, I had surgery on Tuesday. It went well. It was done arthroscopically as an outpatient. Not much else to say except I am counting the minutes until I can get on the trainer! I was supposed to compete in the Catalina 10K on Saturday over on Catalina Island. Not going to be running but we decided we are still going to go over Friday and Saturday. The hotel and boat tickets are already paid for so doesn't make much sense to toss that money away. We can at least have a nice getaway, cheer on the 5 and 10K participants and watch the end of the marathon. My quest is going to be to find some abalone for dinner. I had it once several years ago and it was wonderful, hoping to repeat the experience! Then on Sunday I have the Sea World 5K and fun run/walk. The cool thing about that is you get admission to the park and free parking with the race entry. We have like 25 people going as a group. I am going to walk with the grand-kids! Then get to spend the day with Shamu and Flipper. Rather be running but it will be a good weekend nonetheless. Edited by k9car363 2015-03-12 8:31 PM |
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Expert ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Originally posted by k9car363 Well, I had surgery on Tuesday. It went well. It was done arthroscopically as an outpatient. Not much else to say except I am counting the minutes until I can get on the trainer! Glad to hear all went well, Scott. From here on, you can start measuring progress again. No doubt there will be challenges / frustration along the way, especially at first, but now the direction is generally up. Have fun at Catalina and Sea World - sounds like a pretty fun weekend getaway! Motivation has been a real struggle for me the last couple of years which seems to stem from two (related) things. One is that my performance has been sliding - partially due to age, partially due to inconsistent training. A good part of my motivation in the past always came from reaching farther (distance) or PRs. Other than doing an Ironman, the distance goals have all been done, and PRs are likely hard to come by now. Two is that since my work travel picked up and my wife is now working more than full time (instead of part time), training has become less of a joy and more of something to try to schedule in (music a bit as well that way). Too many - I can train OR spend a couple of hours with my wife, playing music, or fighting the pipeline going through our backyard - type of choices. The chores and work still have to get done :-) Anyway, I keep working toward just enjoying the training in the moment, rather than focusing on what I'm not doing, or else I start to make myself a bit crazy. Just discovered that my blood pressure has shot up as well... so that's both extra incentive to train but also extra incentive to figure out how not to stress about it. But, I do know enough about myself to recognize that I'm much happier when I'm training, even if it inconsistent and not at the appropriate level for an upcoming race. The races are fun and something to aim for (and, if I don't dwell on the result, I do enjoy them). So, my new mantra is enjoying the training / race in the moment and traditional goals have to take a back seat for now. Not easy for a lifetime goal setter / achiever type :-) Thanks for pushing us Scott! Onward on your recovery!! Stu |
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Expert ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Scott, sorry you had surgery but now maybe it will get better much faster and you can continue to reach your goals! Have a speedy recovery and nice weekend. Steve, hoping you have a quick recovery from the FLU too! Folks, sorry I have been away so much. I've been out of town so much lately. I'm running up to about 15 - 20 miles per week, that is way off from where I was prior to the stress crack and it is hard coming back, knowing where I was and where I am now! Also spending a lot of time on rental houses.. Anyway I hope everyone has a nice weekend and if you are racing this weekend, enjoy your race and good luck! |
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Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Steve, sorry to hear that your're sick, nothing worse, but maybe I should try it for the weight loss factor ![]() As far as motivation goes, I think i have several things that keep me going. One is I want to be a good example for my kids, even though they are all grown I want them to see me staying fit and enjoying life as I get older. 2) I have some longevity in my family, My grandfather was 98 when he died and still active, his sister was 104! My mom and dad are both in the mid 70's and as healthy as can be, My dad stills skis several times a week and golfs when there isn't any snow.I have a lot of years left, might as well be able to enjoy them. lastly being in the Air National Guard and still deploying with the kids I don't want to be the fat slow old guy in anything we do and I LOVE smoking the 20 somethings on my runs! Sad since I'm not all that fast that they can't beat me. as far as mental toughness goes, i try to think of some of the toughest mentally people I can, SEALs and other special operators they are the guys that just don't know how to quit! When I feel I can't do something I remind myself that my mind is stronger than my body, sometimes it works ![]() Have a great day, Rain and snow this weekend, but it looks like spring is starting to push through! And just to be sure I'm headed for sunny SoCal for a week, I'll probably die with temps in the 80's. Dan |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Steve, sorry about your flu. Be patient! Don't hurry to return to training before you're fully well Scott, glad your surgery went well. I guess we all need patience don't we. I got 3 days of lovely running in while in Oregon. Now I'm nursing a sore hamstring, whether from the plane flights, the running, or the earlier HM I don't know. At what point can a sore ham be considered an injured one? I'll take my own advice & take it a bit easy for a few days. Deb |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() What a tough week for our co-leaders! Hope you're getting well, guys... Scott, Another thought provoking question from you. I guess my reasons are similar to others posted. Three years ago I began getting back in shape largely for health reasons. As my weight dropped and my fitness improved, I began running again and remembered how much I liked race days. Last year was my first attempt at triathlon and I learned that I really like the added complexity of tri's versus running. It seems like a more difficult challenge than most people are willing to take on, so that makes finishing an event very satisfying for me. Since I"m a goal oriented guy at heart, the chance to see improvement is also driving me this year. Of course, I will also admit to a bit of vanity and ego as motivators. In addition to helping me stay trim and looking fit, I particularly like being able to keep up with the younger kids in training or on race day. And the best part is that occasionally I can even wear a few of 'em out. Dave |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Scott: I hope you have a speedy recovery from your surgery. Steve: Rest up and get over the flu. Regarding the motivation question, my approach is that every year for the last 10 years or so I give myself one large challenge to complete each year. The challenges have been varied and include gaining first aid accreditation, learning to play guitar properly and give a performance, take up cycling and ride a century, a number of business initiatives and last year's challenge was to complete a triathlon. I think it is important to continue to grow and develop. Now that I'm hooked on triathlon its a matter of wanting to go longer and faster and the feedback on progress is easily measured. I get a great deal of satisfaction from working up a sweat and feeling the wind against my face while running and riding. I've met a lot of great people who are happy to encourage and help a newbie and made some friends along the way. I struggle to think of other competitive sports where a rookie can race beside an elite athlete with mutual respect also. |
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New user ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Steve - Hope you are feeling better. Scott - What motivates me? - Stay Healthy - Great role model for my kids - Lose more weight - Get faster - Get stronger - Get better technique - Get smarter Since starting this triathlon journey 2 years ago I could barely swim a lap and I have found I love it. I have always liked running and biking but never got serious with it until now, it seems like a learn something new every week. Granted getting up at 5:00 AM to hit the pool at 6:00 for a master class is sometimes daunting but having a race on the schedule helps push me out of bed. Edited by JREDFLY 2015-03-14 7:34 PM |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Originally posted by k9car363 Hey Everyone - Here is the more detailed breakdown I promised for the Weight Loss/Workout Challenge. How you earn points -
Weight stayed at 149 (dang Girl Scout cookies) and I exercised 7hrs 55min (185 min swimming, 180 min biking, 90 min running, and 20 min strength training). So, my points for the week:
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Hi All A very quiet week for me training wise as I was helping my wife who is ill. Zero training and no weight loss/gain = 5 points. I attended the volunteer briefing session during the week. There will be 2200 triathletes competing in Ironman Melbourne next Sunday. The race is for the Asia Pacific Championship and there are 75 spots for Kona up for grabs. I thought it was interesting that the largest age group was Male 40 -45. |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I noticed a post on ST about the run/walk method, referring to a 2009 IM Talk Podcast interview with Coach Bobby McGee: http://www.imtalk.me/home/2009/7/28/imtalk-episode-170-running-mast... It's an interesting listen (the interview starts about 30 minutes in) with some information we didn't discuss when Stu brought this up last month. For those who don't want to listen, I'll summarize his major points: 1. 90% of Iron Man competitors end up walking portions of the run and most marathon runners walk more than 10% of the run. They do this reactively after they hit a wall and can't run anymore. It is better physically, emotionally, and in terms of finishing time to do your walking proactively. Those using run/walk don't have a fade-away at the end and often end up passing large numbers of "pure runners" who are forced to walk the last few miles. 2. He believes that pro IM triathletes will eventually do a sub 2:30 marathon off-the-bike using the run/walk protocol. Runners he has coached have already gone sub 2:30 in a marathon (pure marathon, not an IM) using the run/walk protocol. 3. The science is sparse, but treadmill tests have shown lower heart rates using run/walk than for pure running at the same average pace. 4. He believes that, with run/walk, the fat burning is more efficient. 5. Run/walk has decreased cardio-vascular fatigue, so you recover faster and are able to ramp-up the volumes faster. With pure running you can only ramp-up at 10% per week without risking a breakdown, but you can ramp-up at 15% to 20% per week using run/walk. It also reduces the impact of long runs on the rest of your training for the week. 6. Fluid and nutrition absorption is better with run/walk than with pure running. 7. To be effective with run/walk, you need to train with run/walk. In particular, the walk-to-run transitions can be difficult at first. Also, the way you walk is important. He recommends a high cadence walk. It was worth the listen. Scott I. |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I did a half marathon today in Sarasota. I've done this once before but today I wanted to try having walk breaks at 4-5min intervals. I ran the first 2 miles, which is up a large bridge at mile 2. We run back up that bridge at mile 5. After mile 2, I started walking the first minute of each mile, and again around the middle of each mile,for 1 minute each time. I was trying to see if I could use it like interval training, running a good pace for me (faster than I normally run long runs) then recover the minute I walked. It seemed to do ok, until mile 9, when I wanted to walk more, and had a difficult time running, so I'm sure my pace slowed. I put all my splits in my log, so I can look back at it. THe last mile I was dead and could barely walk, so not enjoyable, as I had wanted to see if I could come in under 2:30, which was my time in Feb's race, but I ended up at 2:34. I didn't really care at the time. I was so happy to be done, then I started just being happy I PR'ed for THAT race, as my first time there is 2:39. Now that I had time to look back and see that my run pace was fast, and most of my splits were under 12 minutes, and that included 2 min of walking, I feel better. I understand why I was so tired towards the end. My expectations were too high, I believe, but i'm glad I tried it. I'm sorry to hear about Scott and Steve, our fearless leaders. Guess all of us will have to do all the training for you both. I'm interested in hearing about the ironman volunteering from Scott I. I will have to listen to the IMTalk podcast and see if I can improve my run/walk method, for my 70.3 in Nov. My 40mile bike ride is this Saturday. A road to recovery honor ride for vets. I'm excited, as I 've never done a cycling event before. Anything I should know about? I have done groups rides, but no events. |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I had no work travel and my wife fled to Florida to escape winter this past week, so I was able to add a few evening training sessions to my routine. My numbers are 552 minutes training for 18 pts. No weight gain 5 pts. Total 23 points. I've gotten a bit lazy with my food logging and my weight loss has stalled as a result. Have to focus on fixing that this week, with another indoor tri event scheduled for this coming Sunday. I'm also inching closer to doing the Timberman 70.3 race in New Hampshire this August. I haven't plunked down the entry fee yet, but I did book a hotel for that weekend. I'm going to use the 16 week plan shared via link here as my training guide. With the longer races in mind, I've been following the posts here about the run/walk approach. Think I'm going to quiz my trainer when I see him on Thursday. Spring arrives on Friday at 6:24pm - not a moment too soon! Hope everyone has a great week. Dave |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Kris - Congrats on your PR in the HM race! |
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![]() ![]() | ![]() 5 points no weight gain 10 point for 5 hours work out....Recovery week Back to the grind now Hope all are having a good week Tom |
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Official BT Coach ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Lost 1.2 pounds 0 workout minutes. |
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Official BT Coach ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Originally posted by EchoLkScott I noticed a post on ST about the run/walk method, referring to a 2009 IM Talk Podcast interview with Coach Bobby McGee: http://www.imtalk.me/home/2009/7/28/imtalk-episode-170-running-master-coach-bobby-mcgee.html Scott, Thanks for posting this. He makes a pretty good case for run/walk. |
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Expert ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() No weight change = 5 pts 300 min work out = 10 pts. Total = 15 pts. Congrats on your Half Mary, Kris - well done!! Scott - thanks for the excellent summary on the run/walk. Still, hoping not to walk in this Saturday's 10 mile run :-) Really no clue how that is going to go. Back is finally starting to feel better, but I lost a bunch of training the last month. Do I have enough "hay in the barn" to give a decent run? We'll find out on Saturday. Get well soon, Steve! Stu |
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Extreme Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Weight Loss Challenge: 694 minutes working out = 23.1 points 2 lbs weight loss = 2 points No weight gain = 5 pts Total 30.1 pts. This week will be considerably easier. I've been busy for a few days playing with our 27 month old grand daughter "Larry". Had a lot of fun with her and watched "Frozen" many many times. Scott - Glad to hear your surgery went well. Did you get some abalone? I also liked your questions on motivation and triathlons. I seem to have a lot of the same answers as everyone else. I come from a very sedentary background but in 2010 I watched IMCanada here in Penticton and was struck by a thought, "I could do that!" Can't imagine why I would think that - I had no history of swimming or running and only very minimal commutor cycling. Since then I've been learning and very slowly getting stronger. I was 61 when I started running, cycling and swimming. Since then I've met some great people and found myself in very strange situations like swimming across several lakes (once looked up to see 3 vultures circling overhead) and marveling at where I was. Experiencing endorphins after a good run and sharing experiences with people in races. I meet special people at every race that make it more memorable. I don't do it to feel younger but I do (until I look in a mirror). My blood sugar has worsened but not nearly as bad as it might if I hadn't been working out as hard as I do. I like doing this and I need to do this. Last year, my wife and I were volunteers at the finish line for Challenge and sometime in the evening Sister Madonna joined us so we'd catch the finishers and she'd give them their medals. She said she wants to continue doing this for another 6 yrs (she'll turn 90). Maybe I started a bit late but I want to do this too - or as close as I can get. Steve - Hope you're feeling a lot better. Deb - I swim with two ladies that are 75 and 83. Last year Prudence (83) swam across Okanagan Lake with me (and 800+ others). I can only hope to keep going as strong as she is. Your attitude is great and inspiring as well. Scott L - I haven't fully digested the Slowtwitch article yet but it is really interesting. Today the fellow I run with told me to just run an easy low HR casual run - but nonstop - so I went out with no pace goals and I avoided looking at my watch and just ran very easy. In the end I ran only 21 seconds a mile slower than I normally do but I finished with a low HR and no heavy breathing. Very interesting result. I'm still planning on following a 10:2 run/walk training plan but I'll do some more easy running as well. Kris - Congrats on your HM PR! Good for you.
Edited by wenceslasz 2015-03-16 10:34 PM |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() On TrainerRoad, I'm just starting the Traditional Base III. It starts with an FTP test so I get a chance to measure progress. Over the last month my FTP increased by 9.5% to 161 and my FTP/Kg increased by 13.4% to 2.37. If I keep improving at this pace, I might eventually have some respectable power numbers! ![]() Scott I. |
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Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Going the wrong way? 405 minutes workout = 13.5 added 1.5 pounds = -1.5 total 12 points I guess i need to double my workout time, maybe then I can start dropping some pounds again? |
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