ADollar79's Group--closed and in the base building phase! (Page 29)

You wetsuit will loosen up a little bit the more you where it.  The chest should be tight and snug.  So long as you don't feel completely constricted you should be all right. 

Good luck this weekend.  You are going to rock the race.   

Mine takes a good day or so to dry.  Dig around on the websites of wetsuit makers for some tips.

I generally rinse mine out really well.  Let it hang dry and then store it hanging in my coat closet.   The key is to keep it out of the sun so that it retains some of the moisture and doesn't crack.   

Ok.  So I'm seriously considering FL 70.3 next May.  That's a year out.  I know I can do it, and I know the training will get me there.

But then I just found a training plan that is a 12 week bridge from Oly to HIM.  And another that is a 20 week plan.

So now I'm considering training for the South Carolina Half.  

Am I crazy? What am I thinking? Should I do it or be more reasonable and wait til next May for the HIM.  Spend the summer and fall dropping weight (1 lb a week is my goal) and trainig more solidly.

I think I'm antsy because I'm so used to training for a fall marathon and I'm not doing one this year.  

Kudos to Kendra & Drew for kickass races this weekend.  Be sure to stop by their profiles and race reports to send them recovery vibes. 

Maybe they will share a bit more with us on what went well, what didn't and what they will do differently next time.  

As your 'mentor' (everyone should get a chuckle at that thought) I would say this:

Going for the 70.3 is crazy.  Is it doable?  Sure.  If that is a goal of yours then go for it.  Just make sure you understand your limitations and what it will take to get there.  

Do you have the drive to train all summer (during the heat) for SC HIM?  That might be your biggest limiter.  FL 70.3 falls in a great time plus can be turned into a bit of a vacation.  Just my 2 cents.

As I have said before, the HIM distance separates the real athletes from those who just like to have fun.  Most people can half- train for a sprint/oly.  You will hurt and risk injury if you half a half.  

My question to you is can you put off your decision until after Chattanooga?  Can you train hard for Chattanooga....race it in July...cross the finish line and know that you could (if trained properly) double the distance and survive?   That is the question I asked myself when I race my first HIM and well before IM.   

 I know you have a good supportive team around you.  I am more than happy to help you train for either race too.  There is no shame in taking your time to build toward a race.  But I understand the excitement and anxiety of taking on new challenges (Triple T, lol) 

Let us know what you decided. 
 

Dollar - I really appreciate the advice. To be honest, I've been in a funk for awhile and I finally took stock this weekend and shook it off. I feel the drive again to work hard and go after my goals (training wise and health wise). Maybe because of that I'm feeling antsy about the next steps.

I like the idea of training hard for Chattanooga and then deciding.  Of course, all the peeps in my tri club and are 'Sign up now! Do it! Go for it!'.  Ha.  Are they going to do the run for me?

I do know that I'm ready to start pushing myself harder. I loaded a training plan for Chattanooga, but I'm not crazy about the way it falls on the calendar. I need to shift it around a little.

Hi guys, sorry I didn't check in earlier!

The race yesterday was amazing.  Everything went as expected for me.  You can read most of the gory details in my race report, but it was all HILLS...well, except for the swim, of course.

The swim went great...it would have been even better if I had swam in a straight line.  haha

The bike felt like it was entirely uphill.  Just when you thought you'd be getting a break with a downhill, boom, another hill.  Every time I felt like quitting, (trust me, there were many) there were volunteers cheering with cowbells.  It was great motivation to get up the next hill.  But, I can't say I was sorry when I saw the turnaround at mile 16.  Oh yeah...and by that time, it was 95 degrees!

The run was also a lot of hills.  I walked most of it, ok, all of it.  My knee and both hips were hurting by the time I started the run.  Walking was more of strategic decision rather than a racing one.  I'd rather have a long "run" time than take myself out for the rest of the season.  Anyways, the run had a lot of aid stations and each one had cold water and people squeezing cold water sponges over you. 

I had hoped to be done by 12:30 and I accomplished that.  So, overall, a challenging race and I think I did well.

THAT'S WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT!!!

My biggest concern was getting you to find your drive again.  That's tough.  I stuggle during the hot months to workout.  I am on the Comet at 5:30 am and I wait until 9 pm to run.  Its the only time that it is bearable.  That sucks the drive right out of you.  

As I stated, there is nothing wrong with setting high goals and going for it.  However, one thing that irritates me about this sport is how quick people make the jump.  And I am guilty of it.  FL70.3 and SC HIM aren't going anywhere.  They will be there when YOU are ready.  There is no need to jump in before hand just because all the cool kids are.  This sport is full of athletes who fall to peer pressure via friends or advertising (everyone has to have a carbon tri bike with zipps).  Again, I am no different....I realize it.  So if you are ready, then go for it...just understand that there is NO shame in waiting.  

------

I have been thinking through my tri career a lot lately (mainly because I need to plan out next year soon).  I am thinking about NOT racing an Ironman next year.  Will I miss it?  Absolutely.  Will I regret the decision when I cross the finish line in Floriday?  Absolutely.  But I don't think that is where my strength lies.  I don't think it is the right distance for me.  I am strongly considering racing Olys & HIMs next year.  It wouldn't hurt for me to give myself a year at really mastering a distance.  I think I would benefit tenfold from racing 2-3 HIMs than one IM.  In my case, I would build a MASSIVE base and then go race another IM maybe in 2010.  This is the smart way to do it....I just need to let go of some vanity, lol  

I think I am in the same boat.  I had really set my sights on Hy-Vee this year and had the Green Spare Parts Crew (they have named themselves, I think it is hilarious) all pumped and ready to be there.  Now, I have had this surgery and because of the way that my body has to heal from these things, I can't get in the water for at least 4 weeks and probably closer to six (They can't stitch me up like they would most people, because a deep incision like this is apt to get infected since I am imuno-suppressed from my anti-rejection drugs, so I have to heal from the inside out, meaning an open wound that has to have a dressing on it constantly).  I was incredibly disappointed when the doc told me and I knew the Crew would be too.  A couple of the teen transplant kids had organized a committee to set up travel to Des Moines, lodging, a dinner on Friday and the whole nine. 

When I talked to the girl that had taken the reigns (She is only 13 but has a brand new heart and is a real firecracker) she absolutely saved my by saying - "That's OK - that just gives us time to get an even bigger event together for next year - we can start raising funds now!"  She calls me 3 times a week asking me if things are OK to plan for NEXT YEAR and wanting all of this information that I don't even think the event organizers are thinking about yet.  The kids in this group are amazing and the driving force - they are why I do what I do and it almost brings tears to my eyes to see them when we go to an event to talk about donation.  They always come running up to me (which is something that most of them couldn't do a year ago) and treat me like I am some sort of hero.  If they knew the truth - that they are the heroes - I think they would be stunned.  Believe me when I tell you that when I stand in front of a group of adults and tell my story - I get people that think it is a great story.  When I stand in front of a group of people and tell the story of Marissa Miles - who's father died when she was 7 and then she found out that she had the same disease at 11 years old and is now standing up on stage with me, a free spirit with more energy than most kids - because someone had the forethought to let others know how they felt about donating their organs, there isn't a dry eye in the crowd.  She sells the cause - I am just the vehicle.

Anyway - I finally came to grips with the fact - with their help - that it wasn't my year to do this race and I will be able to do it next year - I will be better prepared and I will be more able to compete instead of just finish.  It's all about perspective and there is no reason to rush things, as I plan to be doing this until the 98,000 people on the waiting list are down to 100 people on the waiting list. 

"That's OK - that just gives us time to get an even bigger event together for next year - we can start raising funds now!"

That is an awesome attitude.  And I agree 100%.  One of the things I have learn from this sport is that it is 10x more fun to RACE an event than survive.  That comes down to a lot more than just training.   

John, that IS awesome!  And Dollar - that's what I was going to say.  I've always gone into a race just wanting to survive it.  I've wondered lately what it would be like to truly RACE it.  And I agree with the IM vs. HIM thing.  I think in a way it's like Marathon VS HM.  I really loved training for a marathon, but I love love love the HM distance. 

Then stick with what you LOVE.  You are less likely to burn out so long as you are enjoying what you are doing  

 Nice job in the race!!! Man, you are a super fast racer it sounds like.  So - triathlon and a puppy? Yah, you'll have no problem picking up the chicks

OK Dollar - time to earn your paycheck - that is - it would be time to earn your paycheck if you actually got a paycheck from us - but who are we kidding - getting to know us is pay enough, right?

I am focusing now on my Time Trial in July.  It is a short ride (5K) and I am told that the course is a flat and shaded loop around a small lake in Pittsburgh.  I have not seen the layout of the course as that seems to be an unintentionally well-guarded secret, so I am not sure what kind of course to do training runs on for time comparison.  To win my AG I will have to do it in 8:30 (That would easily beat the winning time 2 years ago and thus qualify me to get a seeded position at the World games in Australia next year).  That is a pace around 22MPH, so it is cooking pretty good for 3 miles.  Anyway, I found a flat shaded path that is not a loop, but a curvy run on a green belt trail that I could simulate on.  It is as close as I can get without actually going to Pittsburgh and riding the course.  I did it three times on Saturday with the following times  - 1st, 9:02 - 2nd, 8:53 - 3rd, 8:37(which would have won the AG last time, but I assume the same guys will be racing and I assume they will get better over two years). 

So - 'splain this to me.  Why did I get faster each time?  Is it because I did not warm up enough (rode it once for warm-up at around 16 MPH), did I get more determined, did I get more used to the course and thus picked the better line each time through?  Do you not have a clue why I got better over time?  Now, I am wondering how much I need to warm-up before the race when I get there.  I have not been given a clear directive if we will be able to ride the course on raceday - but I know that we will have two practice days to ride it on days before the race.  I also am assuming that it is not a really curvy course, because they are running the criterium on the same course (4 laps) and they couldn't have anything as curvy as what I am practicing on becuse you couldn't have more than a couple of bikes together staying in a pack on it, and they are very concerned about safety. 

Any advice?

The simple answer is yes. 

I think it is a multitude of things.  Your body was warmed up, you knew the course, your gearing was probably better, etc.  What is the right amount of warmup you should do before your race?  No clue.  It is different for every person.  In training you need to determine how long it takes for you body to begin clicking.  Do you have a trainer?  If so, it is customary for people to take the trainer to the event so that they can spin about 10-20 minutes.

If you want to focus your training for the time trial, then you need to work in intervals into your training.  For example, go for an easy ride that looks something like this:

wu:  10-15 minutes, 3x3 minute intervals with 3 minute recovery.  cd:  10-15 minutes.

The key is to begin to build your interval sessions.  Don't over do this.  At the most 2x a week.  AT MOST.  You don't get faster by training at the top of your game all the time.  Instead you build it.  3x3 one day.  Next week 4x3 then 5x3 then 4x4.  That type of logic.  You will probably only want to hit about 5 minutes at most.  Just trust your training and you will be fine.   

Hey! How's the going? Awfully quiet around here?  What's everyone up to????  Everyone ok?

I have my 1st Oly this Saturday. I'm racing Athena. There's only 3 of us in the female group so no doubt I'll clinch 3rd.  Loads of people from BT going, most of which I've met already.   I am loving my new bike! I also broke a Sprint PR on Memorial day and placed in my AG! YAY! Course there weren't many people doing it but still. It's a good feeling!  The weather sucks here and I want to move to San Diego!  

My new favorite website:  http://www.chainlove.com/

They sell one item at a time at a pretty good discount.  Thought I'd share.    They have similar sites for ski gear and emo clothes.  See, my skiing addition really does pay off...

I love this site - I keep it in the background all day and refresh every 20 minutes or so.  Got a great deal on tubes yesterday (4 for $10).